Call It What You Want
by Jugband Arnold
Summary: A collection of random prompt fills over time for the shameless reason of getting feedback. You may have read these on my blog.
1. Chapter 1

**_Prompt: Hows about "The books that I keep by my bed are full of your stories" ? Since you left me to write then I thought I should help the cause._**

_What's it been - 30 years since I got this prompt? Sorry Luce - I am lazy like that._

_Well this was a rather specific prompt wasn't it._

* * *

Your girlfriend brings over way to much stuff, you think as you eye the room, taking in the three pairs of shoes she's got on the floor._ Did she actually pack and bring shoes? _you chuckle and take a glance at the now bursting wardrobe. Holly didn't have that many clothes - but it's too crammed now anyway. You're sure if this were anyone else you were dating - you would have instantly thrown in all out the floor - just to let the other person know that they haven't won you over completely - not yet at least.  
But this is Holly - the woman had you fumbling at diatoms. You're such a sucker for her little head tilt and those pleading brown eyes. Ugh.  
And for the past week - she's been hauling these med-school books from her apartment to yours. Apparently one of these five ton books had an obscure bit of information crucial to a recent case and she's spent the last few days digging through these books before falling asleep on them - much to your amusement. The sight of the nerdy Holly Stewart falling asleep over her big bad medical books with her glasses on her face was a joke that you enjoyed a lot, your girlfriend - not so much.  
It's late at night now - and Holly's supposed to be home soon and you're bored. Bored off messages from the gang on your phone, bored of all the lame T.V shows airing. Right now - you just want Holly to be home already so you can tease and annoy her till you fall asleep. She should be home soon though but you're too restless.  
Perhaps a little read through the Doctor's boring nerdy books would make you drowsy a little bit. So you haul out the smallest book you can find - which is pretty huge itself and pull it open.  
The first thing you can see is that Holly wasn't one of those people who kept their textbooks neat and tidy.  
This was chaos. Utter chaos. There were notes written on every inch of free space available in four different inks, various passages highlighted in bits and pieces - random words circled and marked.  
_So, this is what causes migraines._  
You can't understand much of it. Half's Latin scribbled with terse writing (Holly - like the doctor cliché had a handwriting only she could manage to decipher). Random doodles filled any empty space left. How did anyone make sense of it all you can't imagine.  
Flipping through the pages - some are sparse with notes but most are filled with it - it feels nice to see it. Makes you feel connected to this younger version of your girlfriend - someone who grew into this sweet, awesome woman.  
Turning through the pages - reading through the little notes here and there - you come across this bit of text in a roughly drawn box, darkened from being traced over and over - almost absent-mindedly.  
_One day it will all be worth it._  
It was probably something Holly told herself when things were tense and she felt panicky - you can't help but smile as you see it.

* * *

That night when Holly was reading through the journals, with Gail asleep next to her - she was surprised to find someone's writing other than hers in it. That warm feeling she felt as she realized who had written it was the best ever.  
Right below her little motto was written -  
_It most certainly is._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Prompt: Ok ok since you loved doing this. Twist my arm won't you? ㈳8 "I watched you disappear, all that's left is the ghost of you."**_

_Zhat awkward moment when the Groupie is more Morbid than Morbid. :?_

* * *

Robotic. That's what this is called. Doing things without telling yourself to do it - donning the uniform blindly, driving to work absent-mindedly, doing everything that you're told without thinking twice. That's precisely what you're doing. Someone could ask you to jump off a cliff and you would do it. You truly would. That's how empty you feel inside, that's how shallow you are right now.

But that's the only way you could cope with this. To think would be to allow thoughts about what happened, and that would bring on these thoughts that would take you all your emotional strength to push back to the corner of your mind. You can't afford the luxury of letting your mind wander, because that would take you to the one thing you'd rather not think off now.

You can notice all the changes though - vividly. Everyone's voices are sort-of muted, distant. Everything you're doing is done for the sake of it. You can't help it. Whether you want to deal with it or not - there's reminders everywhere. In fact, you really shouldn't be here in the precinct at all.

"Gail - head over to the lab with this." Sam shoves into your hand with in an urgent tone and your rush down there immediately.

Handing over the samples to the new pathologist, you sink into a nearby chair as the realization finally hits you.

_What were you thinking coming here._

It doesn't take much for the thoughts to start creeping in now. You can feel Holly, you can feel that warmth she brought out in your bones whenever you thought of her, you can taste her lips, you can feel her whispers resonating in your ear.

And then you remember the events of a month back and it sucks the wind out of your lungs. It's surreal truly - feels like a choke-hold along something weighing down on your shoulders. It's like the continuous extension of the moment when someone hits you on the back of your head with a crow bar - this confusion, this momentary amazement and dread. And you're close to falling to your knees when you finally get the results and slump your way out of lab.

The minute you're out of the lab though? You're running. Running fast. Which is absurd because you never ran - Holly was the one who usually -

You have to stop at that thought and do something else. All your thoughts lead to Holly and you can't help it. It wasn't something you could help if everything thing in sight reminded you of her.

You find Sam in the interrogation room, and you sneak in to the little ante room on the otherside of the glass where Traci and Nick are engrossed in the investigation. You flop down into a chair setting the lab results on the table and decide to pay attention to the case. Except you can't. And this is a case you want to know the answers to. The bastard who took away the woman you loved was on the other side of that glass ,but you're past feeling enraged.

Holly takes over your thoughts once again, and you give in this time. You can't fight it. If this was your brain refusing to admit the truth so be it. It was real a few months ago. She was right here, in this very interrogation room, rambling and then kissing you. She was right here, why couldn't she be here again. You can feel her weight on your lap, feel her fingers through your hair. Yet, you clutch the arm of the chair tighter, in pain, knowing that you couldn't really do this. You just couldn't.

_"Stop haunting me."_ you whisper to no-one in particular, in some wild hope that it helped.

* * *

Holly was straddling Gail's lap, running her fingers through that short blonde hair. She could hear Gail very well, but she really couldn't help what she was doing.

_"I'm trying my best Gail."_ she sighed under her breath, not really sure if Gail could hear her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Debby - Check the about me page on this site._

**Prompt: "As I looked around, I began to notice that we were nothing like the rest."**

_Dear Sunglasses,_

_Do you know why it took me this long to write this? BecauseI'm a lazy jerk like that._

_Oh_** Mountain Sound!**_ Love this song._

_Set in 4X13. Is this written? It probably is. Forgive me if so._

* * *

_That was stupid. Sostupid._ You stamp back to the lab, pull your glasses of your face and fall into your chair. What were you thinking - turning up the precinct again - after barely sneaking off from the interrogation room. This was going to be an extremely lengthy reasoning session with yourself.

You had wanted to check up on her. Of course you did - you were worried. Now, why were _you_ of all people worried? Sure, she kissed you - which led to one of the steamiest make-out sessions ever - but that was no excuse. Maybe that was Gail being all rattled up after seeing Chloe shot like a dog - and in some new found fervor had kissed you. That couldn't mean anything.

Besides - you were the unreasonable one here - turning up to the Penny with women plain in sight and then expecting the blue-eyed blonde you've been crushing on to jump start a relationship with you right after a little kiss.

Okay - _that_ could not be called a little kiss - that was one of the hottest, most thrilling kisses you've ever had. Reliving it in your mind is giving you these butterflies all over again – the thought of gripping her arm and literally pulling her into the interrogation room behind you - you admit you didn't believe she would follow you.

But now - you had to mess that up, by turning up at the precinct again - and now - all you were going to get from Gail was awkward glances and forced silences instead of passionate kisses. You had no one else to blame really. How you had - inspite of fourteen years of college education - messed this up like a nervous high school nerd is a mystery to you.

You couldn't help yourself there could you - you had to make sure she was okay. You don't know what you saw - but for some reason - this absurd notion had struck you. That Gail wasn't like the rest of the officers heading out this dreadful day. The other officers - those you knew at least - had children and significant others to come home to - and that before risking their lives - would hesitate atleast the slightest bit before throwing themselves in harm's way. And Gail would not. And that snowballed into this huge panic and you had to rush and see her and tell her to be safe.

Except you screwed that up terrifically - and what you're feeling now is worse than the panic you felt about forty minutes ago.

You're still clutching your forehead in your hand when your phone flashes with a call from Gail.

Is it relief you are to feel as you hear her voice again - or complete horror - you aren't quite sure.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Prompt: and as the world comes to an end , I'll be here to hold your hand.. :-)_**

_Hello!_

**King and Lionheart **_eh? Very well then._

_Is this a continuation of sorts? I think so._

* * *

The first phone call from Gail had left you an absolute mess. What were you thinking - falling in love with someone who put their life on the line for a living?

Sure - there was that relief that you hadn't screwed this up entirely, but hearing Gail's rather rushed voice over the phone didn't do much to soothe your nerves.

_How am I going to love this woman._

The second phone call had set your heart at ease - though you were rushing to the hospital as fast as you could. There wasn't much time to think on the way there - save two thoughts – to NOT mess this up again and just be whatever Gail wanted you to be.

The minute you catch a glimpse of her at the hospital - you rush towards her, only to stop before you fling yourself at her. It doesn't matter anyway because three seconds later she engulfs you in a bear hug herself. You aren't sure what to make of the mixed signals she's sending - with a rather sudden introduction to her brother and Chris - but you couldn't possibly bother yourself with them now.

Sitting next to her in an uncomfortable waiting room chair, a wave of emotions rushes through you – there's gratitude that she's safe, glee that she isn't mad about the precinct, nervousness about the beginning of this new relationship, anxiety about how you were going to cope with this every time this happened. It's a roller coaster of emotions - overwhelming, a tad terrifying - and you feel this heavy feeling in your knees as you rest your hands on them. You can't comprehend how something that didn't have a direct impact on you could leave you so drained of life.

You try and shift focus on to other things - about Chloe, Sam, Oliver and the whole division when you feel a cold hand slipping into yours. You don't need to look at Gail, you just grab onto her hand as tight as you can. It wasn't something you thought about, it wasn't something surprising at all. It felt like the most natural thing to do.

Gail's hand was unnatural cold, from nerves and the emotions that was this day. She's barely got a grip on your hand but she hasn't moved her hand away – you can gauge her perfectly. She wants to hold your hand, but truly can't find the energy to do so. So you're gripping her hand tight instead, hoping that would be helpful.

After five minutes of silent hand-holding, Gail turns to look at you with a lost expression - and you just reply her with the best reassuring smile you can muster.

You have to admit - you would be willing to go through hell falling in love with Gail - if it meant you could be here to hold her hand at the end of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Prompt: (Letter to) Open when we can't communicate with each other- for you know who**_

_No, Sunglasses, I didn't know who._

_Has this been written? I hope to God not. Apologies if so._

* * *

Dear Holly,

I suppose this is the letter you would read if I ever went on some long undercover op and couldn't talk. The very thought of that sounds like torture. I don't know what to say other than - I love you, I will make it back to you alive and I can't wait to see you again. But that won't be long enough a letter so I suppose I'll ramble on a little more.

What do I ramble about.

Have I ever told you how I felt that night at the bar, the night before the whole Ford incident? It's an indelible memory in my mind, you know. The very thought of that night makes me want to kiss you again, just to remind me that you're mine. It was a night of a lot of firsts for me - first time I was lusting after a girl, needless to say. But it was also the first time I pined for someone. And it was such an unusual feeling. I have always been the one pined for. Seeing you with - whoever she was that night - was painful Hol. Sure, I brushed it off as being nauseated seeing Dov and Chloe - but it wasn't that at all. It's such a gut-wrenching feeling Hol - sitting there, kicking back drink after drink, thinking of ways to just be next to you again and knowing extremely well that that was the last thing I could do. What a lot of things my mind came up with - I thought of pouring my drink all over her, thought of bashing her head with a baseball bat, thought of burying her in the woods - I may have given all those scenarios way more thought than necessary. I still remember seeing you laugh with her - and it felt like someone crushing my heart in a vice. I couldn't understand it Hol. I barely knew you then, and you were in no way someone I would like - but there I was - wishing with every bit of my heart that I could be the one making you laugh. I can see why the dork in every rom-com ever feels like they do - there is nothing quite as excruciating as sitting through seeing someone you love be happy with someone else, and there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. I hope you never felt like that. I don't think you did - being the hot nerd you are.

The next day, when I saw you at the precinct with that blue folder? I wanted to kiss you right there. It took all my constraint to not jump with glee - and play it cool. Well - circumstances helped with that. It was the sweetest feeling ever Hol, seeing you all concerned and waiting to check up on me. You know about the interrogation room, and what followed. I never wanted to leave that interrogation room, and for the first time again - I was scared. Scared that this maybe all I would get. Terrified that it would end badly for me - as it ever does. And I didn't want it to end at all.

So, whenever I can't talk to you - I think of that night at the bar and the interrogation room. And that no matter what - you would be there - standing concerned, clutching a blue folder - ready with the most flimsy lie. After all - that is the dorkiest thing someone's done for me. And for that - I'll never give up, not till I kiss you again.

If you ever repeat any of this to anyone - you will be the one pining for me.

I love you,

Gail.

P.s. I'm thinking of putting up a little plaque in that interrogation room - "This is where Gail Peck lost her cool and kissed this adorkable Pathologist." What do you think?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Prompt: (Letter to) Open when we're fighting (and it's your fault) Golly :)**_

* * *

Dear Holly,

I don't see why this letter exists - according to all the laws of all the universe — this letter just can't exist. How on Earth can I be mad at you and it's your fault. It just can't - it can't exist.

But you're so intent on us writing these letters. I can only think of two reasons why I would be mad at you. One is - I did something stupid and you're mad at me and I'm mad at you for something you said about it. The second is circumstances (for example your amazing friend Boob Job.) The first is something that is probably going to happen a lot. The second is your fault you're going to have to beg for forgiveness in the following ways.

1\. If I'm at the precinct - Turn up to the precinct dressed in nothing but a trench coat.  
2\. If I'm sulking in bed - Turn up in the bedroom dressed in nothing but a trench coat.  
3\. Cheese puffs are always welcome. Donuts will also do well.  
4\. If I'm drinking at the Black Penny sulking over it - Turn up to the Black Penny dressed in nothing but a trench coat.  
5\. If I'm being too sharp and cold and unbearable - you could try to break the ice with a cheesy Star Wars reference. Those always get me.  
6\. Try not to sleep with my best friend - that would really be appreciated.  
7\. Buy me shoes. Or weapons. Or BOTH.  
8\. Both. Always Both.  
9\. Just let me deal with it at my own pace.  
10\. Please don't give up on me for anything. I'll come around I swear! I love you Hol, I couldn't stay mad at you for long. After some time after the rage has passed, I'd just be hankering for you to come back. Please do. I promise I will be waiting for you.

Preferably come back dressed in nothing but a trench coat.

Love,  
The Best Girlfriend ever who actually wrote this for you.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Prompt: (Letter To) Open when you can't sleep The groupie wanted an angsty twist, who am I to say no. (Zhere's a slight tweak to this prompt - sorry Groupie!) (The word angst is bolded for a reason. Read on if you absolutely must.)**_

* * *

Gail,

I thought people romanticize the unnecessary. In my head, there never was any allure to save up old movie stubs and go ice skating. It was all dull, simple, predictable. I had my own idea of love - it wasn't something I ever thought I'd find - but it was fun playing with my fantasies, dreaming up scenarios where I'd meet my version of the perfect woman and I would be head over heels in love with her.

That's how I used to put myself to sleep. Dreaming blissfully of coming across the girl of my dreams and falling hopelessly in love with her. I never pictured an actual person - but just someone. Someone who would be freakishly cute in love with me, someone who would play with my hair before falling asleep herself, someone who would have this soft spot only for me and our kids. I dreamt a lot - built plenty of castles in the air, painted beautiful scenarios in my imagination - I had everything down to the very last detail - the color of the bed sheets, the soft silence hugging us, I was a very vivid imaginer I'd say.

And then I met you, rather stumbled across you in a crime scene. Can I just say you were nowhere close to the woman of my dreams. (Well, for starters - the woman of my dreams would definitely know how to swing a bat.)

So, let me clarify that I didn't know that I would fall in love with you. But I did. And I don't regret it Gail. One day I woke up before you did and thought - this was nothing like I dreamed it would be like, but everything I wanted it to be. This was it - bliss.

I still remember every minute of that morning, Gail - us sipping coffee in bed, me trying to read the paper while you got in your head to jibe at every headline you found. I don't know how you did it but you made reading the paper hilarious. Were you doing that just to make me laugh? I'd like to think so.

And that's when I realized - we don't romanticize the unnecessary. We romanticize what makes us feel loved.

I still think of that morning whenever I can't sleep at night - I don't know why it just pops into my head. When I close my eyes and try to get to sleep - I am back there again - in that morning, feeling the mild heat of the morning air brush away the night's chillness, you resting your head on my shoulder begging me to put the paper away and me being stubborn and warning you that we were going to be late to work, you pouting and deciding to take over the role of satirical newsreader for the morning. I can picture it all - you in your little shorts grabbing the paper and getting up to stand at the foot of the bed, reading the paper out loud in the most droll way ever, while I laughed and drank my coffee. It was a passing moment in our lives, but a memory that sticks out in my mind.

I wish I had been late to work that day. There's a regret for you.

There are some nights even that memory doesn't help me get to sleep Gail. And I hate you for it. Because ever since you died, I can't go back to those childish fantasies of mine - those little scenarios I dreamt up with a mysterious someone. Don't even think about asking why. You absolutely ruined me, Gail Peck. You should know that.

There are some nights I really wish you were here, you know. Is it too much to ask to have you in my arms again?


	8. Chapter 8

_**Prompt: (Letter To) Open when you need to laugh. Golly!**_

* * *

_Dear Gail,_

Whatever follows is for your eyes only and if this information gets out in anyway - I will kill you. And no one will be ever able to find any evidence of it, trust me.

So, without further ado

_My Short-lived stint as a Stand-up Comedian._

(If you're sniggering already you put this letter down, NOW!)

Now, this was a time when I was looking for my cool 'thing'. You know - some people are really good at poker, some people are amazing at darts - I lack the ability to bluff without snorting out loud (as you know - when you won five rounds of strip poker back-to-back) and my aim isn't that great. So I thought to myself - I would be a terrific stand-up comedian. I figured - well all the lesbians do it - maybe it is some common trait we share. (It's not. It's NOT.)

You have no idea how seriously this idea gripped me. I had this brilliant thought that my bit could be the Nerd version of Stand-up. Minus all the comic book/ Star Wars references. (Which is in-fact was a recipe for disaster.) But I was naive, and full of dreams of how the Stand-up business could do with some really cool science stuff. (The Stand-up business is just fine the way it is - could have used a bit more insight on that.)

So, one night at the local bar, it was open mike night, and me with my Dutch courage assumed this would be a GREAT time to out try my new idea.

And I was hilarious. If I were the audience that night - I would have outright enjoyed every one of those jokes.

I was dishing out the classics here! The electrons at the bar, the h-2-o-2, and a lot of my own jokes as well – the bit about how taxidermy was similar yet different from forensic pathology, this absolute gem on about how you could soon just get drunk right from the fuel tank, how plants are way more organized than animals even at the cellular level. (I worked very hard on those jokes!)

You do know that alcohol impairs judgement right? Well I thought I was an absolute hoot. But the patrons of the bar thought otherwise.

So, there I was - rather intoxicated and completely oblivious to the fact that I was being booed off the little stage, I kept rambling on (I would NOT have stopped for anything, I was on a roll!)

It wasn't until popcorn landed in my hair did I realize that my jokes were being wasted on the rather dim crowd, so I took the hint. Which - I don't know kind of threw me off balance. So, finishing up with a splendid pun - I did my best of haughtily walking off the stage like a diva.

Which actually was me tripping right off the stage - face first into the floor.

And can you believe those buggers - they laughed at that! Instead of all the brilliant jokes I came up with - they laughed at the drunk girl falling flat on her face. THAT was the funny part. Pfft.

So - that's when I decided that my glorious sense of humour was far too advanced for the human race - and gave up on that.

There ended my dreams of being an amazing stand-up comedian.

But I would absolutely kill at hosting the Nobel Prize ceremony and you know that.

Hope that made you laugh honey.

Love you.

Holly.

Ps. No questions on this will be entertained. Ever.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Prompt: 3: "It isn't about a smile; it's about what is inside of your smile."_**

* * *

It's something you're truly grateful for. That you're in love with her. That this sarcastic, icy, blonde cop was all yours. The thought of it makes you all goofy - you just can't help it. You were a blubbering mess since the first minute you saw her - but knowing you had a similar effect on her was something that makes you so happy. Knowing that this badass cop was in love you was endearing enough - but what was even more sweet - was the way Gail turned to utter mush with you. With you - she wasn't this cold, distant person who used sarcasm as a method of defense. She was more like this curious and utterly cute cat, who would roll over for as much as a little glance from you. She was different - sweeter, kinder, more considerate person with you - though she would probably deny it. She would either totally ignore the accusation, or brush it off. End result was you continually felt like hugging her and holding her close - and that was how things were when you're both alone.

When you're both at work or out though - you know Gail loves playing badass cop - so you let her. But knowing that she still a sweetheart, more specifically yours - you can't help it - you're stuck with your lop-sided grin all time whenever you're with her.

You're a nerd after all, sure - a hot one - but still, a nerd at heart. You've spent nights dreaming off someone who had this soft spot only for you, whose first thought was of you - and all those sweet things you loved consoling yourself to sleep with when you were younger. You hadn't ever thought it all would happen, and now that she's here and yep, you're probably grinning that mindless grin of yours now in the middle of lunch break with her, at your desk at work.

"Ugh, you've got to stop looking at me like that at work." she casually remarks, and you know what she means, you know precisely that she's turned on right now. But, you like your little games. So, you wipe that grin of your face and with your face as serious as you can make it be - you decide to play a little hand of yours.

"You mean that?" you ask, in a hurtful tone - and you can see the horror on her face. She's turned pale as she's wracking her head for a response to that. Oh aren't you evil.

"No - NO I didn't mean it like that -" she stutters, and seeing Gail Peck stutter for words is something so rare. But the horrified look on her face is too much for you to bear, you start laughing. Oh isn't she an adorable goofball.

"You're evil." she pouts, you've got to admit that as you give her a quick kiss, but she doesn't leave it at that. She kisses you again, as if to reassure you that she absolutely loves you.

The next time someone told you of how icy cold Gail is, you were probably going to laugh at how insane that thought is.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Prompt: 6."Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith."_**

* * *

The worst thing about long distance relationships? It's hard to point out. Literally everything is annoying. A text message 'Good Morning' for a kiss, a phone call for hug, talking to a plastic screen instead of lazing in her arms - it's an endless list. It's the infuriating replacement of her with a ton of gadgets which are supposed to make communication easier but end up making you restless anyway. What good is a text message when you want to feel her lips on yours, what's so blessed about a phone call when you want to link your fingers with hers. No skype call could ever replace her running her fingers through your short hair. It's seems pittance of a replacement of her. Then again - you aren't going to throw away your phone in utter annoyance. You live for those rambling text messages, those long phone-calls. Waiting for a word from her is your favorite pastime. What's infuriating is all these - leave you longing for more - more which you will have to impatiently wait for.

Perhaps the worst of long distance relationships could be arguing. Messages shorten in length and detail to snappy words, and asking for forgiveness over phone-calls is something that proves to rile you up further. Yep, that's precisely where the modern marvels of communication fail miserably. Nothing quite equates to falling on your knees and begging. Emotions get amplified just then - desperation, impatience and longing just blow out of proportion - it's hard to explain. In those moments, that sappy feeling of romance really makes sense. You would willingly walk 500 miles to end up at her door. It doesn't seem stupid at all - it seems completely logical and totally sane.

That explains why you're here, in San Francisco, instead of Toronto. That also explains why you're here - gripping a baseball bat and fidgeting in the cab, waiting to reach her apartment. It takes a while to get there, and when you do finally get there - just before you rush into the building, a little thought crosses your mind.

You're going to see her. After what feels like years - you're going to see her, and she has no idea you're here. You're filled with excitement as you think that. No matter how mad she is with you, you're thrilled that you're going to be seeing her.

Almost hopping with glee you run into the building, and hope she's home now. You're too impatient to wait now, even for a minute. You can feel your phone vibrate, probably a message from her - that's she's finally forgiven you after three long days. You don't bother to check it. Finally, _finally_ \- you're standing outside her apartment and without any further delay - press the doorbell a few too many times.

The good part of long distance relationships? That look of happy surprise when she sees you holding up a baseball bat, that one millisecond of disbelief till she realizes it's actually you - standing outside her door.

"So, if you're mad at me we could head to the batting cages. I've heard it's cathartic. Or you could just club me with this."

That bliss when she rushes into your arms and clings to you - the way she's so close to tears of joy as she hugs you tight? Yeah, that's probably the best part of long distance relationships.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey! Cheer me up please. I feel sad.

_*I am supposed to be studying, and I absolutely suck at cheering people up. I swear I am much better at bringing people down. Off the top of my head here.*_

* * *

_Finally._

The days is over. After 7 hours of non-stop rifle drills, Gail's exhausted. At the end of the final dismissal for the evening, she's quite prepared to lie down and never get up ever. Till tomorrow - till she has to do it all over again. She's chugging down a bottle of water when she spot's Holly out of the corner of her eye. They had been dating for a while, and this was the first time Holly ever came to see her at the Training Academy.

She's immediately trying to be lively again, though her muscles are absolutely killing her. Holly comes over and shows a little interest in the area, and she decides its a nice time to show her girlfriend around the place. The two you are walking around, arm in arm. Her uniform is thoroughly soaked in sweat, and she probably does stink, Holly had handed her a stick of gum a little earlier, and she's chewing out in, trying to bite out the pain.

Just as the two of them are passing the Officer's Quarters, her senior officer catches sight of her and she knows she's done for. The senior officer is this big, surly jerk-face, who was now pulling rank on her for everything.

Holly's immediately stunned and stops as this Officer rushes over to the two of them, and Gail immediately steps forward, bracing herself for what ass face was going to do now.

'Officer, what do you think you're doing here after dismissal?'

Gail can't really say anything, being the one of the trainees who aren't allowed to talk at all, not to their seniors. She's just wishing the jerk-face lets her go with a rap.

Of course he doesn't. He's yelling out how idiotic she is, and so forth, and commands her to do 25 push-ups on the spot. Gail's groaning at that, not after that long parade. _Not in front of my girl friend._ She doesn't have much choice either.

She barely makes it through ten before falling flat on the ground, and she can hear Holly letting out a short laugh.

'Come on Officer, your girlfriend's laughing at you.'

Gail looks up and eyes the officer with such disgust that he gives up and lets her off the hook, provided she arrived half-hour early for drills tomorrow. She gets up and eyes Holly with a frown, who starts soothing her burnt ego.

_This may or maynot be inspired by something that happened to me….._


	12. Chapter 12

_**Rrompt: (I can't remember what it was exactly) You asked for this lesbian-chick-lezbedifferent. This is also for the groupie,ardenkai hope you like it. No idea if all this is medically viable.**_

* * *

When you get the news - the minute you realize whose fault the whole incident is, you rush to find him and give Duncan the biggest showdown ever. When you do find him, he doesn't really defend himself, and you're shaking with rage at the very sight of this stupid imbecile. You're spitting out in the most cutting way all the terrible things you will be inflicting on him for his sheer carelessness. You're about to punch him right in the face when Oliver comes and physically hauls you away. You truly want to just punch him hard, tase him, anything to just vent your anger. How could any rookie be such a freaking idiot, it truly amazes you.

The whole incident had gone down about three hours ago, when your forensic pathologist girlfriend was collecting evidence at a crime scene - which was supposed to have been cleared by the moron who's shaking after the roughhousing you just gave him, except it wasn't. And their criminal had sneaked out - but not without clocking your girlfriend with the base of his Glock before running out. You're trying hard to not think of what might have happened had the assailant had a round in his gun. The hard hit to her head had left your girlfriend unconscious, and about 10 minutes had passed till Sam had found her. You had been responding to a distress call elsewhere,blissfully unaware of anything that had happened, and when you get the call from Oliver, you're ready to kill.

Oliver's pulling you away, trying to get you to calm down, nothing seems to appease you however. You can hear him telling you that she's fine - but that doesn't make up for the anger. Oliver manages to get you in his squad car and drive you to the hospital where she's at. He doesn't say much during the car ride- you appreciate that. You truly want to find your girlfriend, make sure she's Ok - before saying anything.

You rush to room where she's at - and the doctors stop you right outside, you're feeling so freaking conflicted - you so desperately want to see her, make sure she's alright, and hopefully that will calm you down. The doctors tell you that she's fine, that she's resting and you can go see her once you've calmed down sufficiently. Which you're sure will be a long time. You realize there's no point in waking her up now and agitating her more than she already is, so you stand outside the room and catch your breath, while the doctors move on to the other patients. Oliver joins you in a few minutes, and looks at you with a look of concern. Never have you been this grateful for his presence, steady and reassuring that things would be okay.

The totality of everything that happened in the last few hours finally hits you, and you're about to process it all, when another whirlwind takes ahold of you. You see Holly's father, Col. Rob Stewart marching towards you - literally ready to throw anything in his way right through the glass windows of the hospital. You're sure you're going to lose it in front of him and break down, but you also know this isn't the time for that. Her father has absolutely every right to be mad, and that thought isn't comforting at all.

'Where is she?' he almost barks in your face, all the playfulness from the last time you met him had missing, all that is in his face is pure anger.

'Sir, she's fine, she's just resting - ' you try telling the man, but he doesn't seem to be listening to reason. It oddly strikes you that you have more in common with him than you had originally thought.

'What the hell happened!' he yells at you - and you can see he's trying to make his way to her room and you're truly torn between stopping him or going into the room yourself.

'Sir - she's fine. It was -' you manage, blocking him from entering the room.

'What the hell Police Department is it that you people are running here!' he yells and you're really close to giving in, you can see Oliver's trying to give you space to handle it - ready to step in at any time.

'Rob! She's alright! You've got to let her rest a while!' you yell back, looking right into his eyes, hoping that he hears you. He must have, because he stops trying to make his way past you to the room. Oliver realizes that perhaps it would be better if he took the Colonel someplace to cool down . The two of them have finally left you alone outside the hospital room, and you can take a moment to comprehend everything that happened just happened today.

You remember once again that all this could have ended very very badly and you try pushing that thought right out of head, only for it to come right back again. The fact that you could have lost your girlfriend today is a lot to take in. The constant nagging agony that the worst could have easily happened is terrifying. You finally understand why your girlfriend was always constantly worried about you, telling you to take care and make sure to be careful.

You don't actually remember how you managed to make it to the waiting area, sitting on one of those cold steel chairs, leaning back on your head and staring at the ceiling. You think you're finally calm enough to go check on her, except you can't move. The crippling fear has now finally gripped you, you need this woman in your life, and if anything were to happen to her, you surely wouldn't survive. You knew you loved her, and that Holly made your life brighter and amazing - but for the first time you realize how much you truly crave and require her. The fragility of life comes to your notice - and you're lost in this train of thought when you feel her father take a seat next to you.

'Sorry I lost my temper a bit there Officer.' he says, and you nod, not sure what else to say anyway.

'I'm terrified.' you blurt out - wishing it was Oliver you were spilling your soul too and not your girlfriend's overprotective father.

'I've never been this scared in my whole life.' you continue, trying desperately to get your mouth to stop talking.

He gives you this concerned look, and you're hoping that his opinion of you isn't dropping as this conversation persists.

'You're in love Officer, better get used to it.' he offers, trying to give you some advice.

'You don't seem to be used to it.' you reply, turning to look at him.

'Well, Holly's always been scared of these kind of scenarios. According to her - that's why she wants to catch bad guys - in her own clever way of course.' he replies with a little smile. You remember her explaining all that in her own verbose and technical way, and smile yourself. Your girlfriend certainly had a way of making simple ideas so complex.

'And I guess a part of me wants to make sure she doesn't get hurt in that process.'

'How did you even know this happened?' you ask, the thought occurring to you for the first time.

He shrugs a little, 'I've got my contacts too Officer.'

You give him a small smile before sitting up and the two of you share a moment in silence before a nurse comes up to the two of you and explains that visiting hours are over and the Colonel would have to leave. The two of you finally check on Holly who's asleep, and neither of you have the heart to wake her up. The Colonel gently pushes back a lock of hair that was on her forehead. He nods at you and you promise to relay any important information to him. In typical Rob fashion, he sticks out his hand, and you shake it and he leaves. Oliver appears for a moment to hand you the clothes you had in your locker, He gives you a quick hug and a few words of comfort, and you thank him profusely for everything before he leaves you with a sleeping Holly.

You change out of your uniform and sit on this sole chair in the hospital room, looking at her. She really shouldn't have gone through this. If anything you should have. You're still in misery when she stirs a little, and this cute smile creeps onto her face you finally feel at peace. You get up and make your way to the bed, where she moves over to make space for you. You lie down next to her as she moves closer. You're lying on your back, with Holly resting on her side, holding on to you tight. She's clutching your t-shirt, and for the millionth time you are wishing this whole thing never happened. You can see she's quite shaken up, understandably.

'That was scary.' she mumbles sleepily into your chest.

'Dealing with your dad was pretty scary.' you reply, trying to change the topic a bit.

'Ohhh he came?' she groans, and you smile seeing your girlfriend behaving like herself once again.

'Hmm Mm.' you softly reply, hoping she goes back to sleep again.

'I'm sorry he's just always extra worried in this situations.' she finishes, too tired to continue. You once again note the tight grip she's got on your t-shirt and smile a little.

'That's just how he is I suppose.' you reply, and when you don't get a reply, you're finally reassured that she's safe, in your arms, sleeping. Things were going to be alright.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Prompt: Well, I love this song by Rixton, Me and My Broken Heart. So may I trouble you and that beautiful mind of yours to prompt this song for me, please? Thank you much! Mwah.**_

_I'm so sorry I took so long with this, Sophie!_

_Set after 5x10. Let's forget the whole adoption/ San Francisco situation for this here shall we?_

* * *

After her shift's done, Gail does drag herself up to Holly's house. As much as she loved the impromptu make-out session in the interrogation room, she knew she had quite a bit of questions for Holly, or at least one important one. But she wasn't sure whether she would ever manage them. She knew the moment she saw Holly, all sane thought would go out the window and she would be quite probably pushed against a wall with Holly moaning into her mouth, and there wouldn't be any time for questions. And after all that, perhaps she wouldn't need to ask anything at all. So, hinging all her hopes on that feeble hope that perhaps she would feel different afterwards, Gail waits outside Holly's door, gearing up for one ride of an evening.

The moment Holly opens the door and she sees her, Gail knows she done for. Soon enough, she's pushed against the closed door, with Holly kissing her hard, leaning into her and before she can manage a word, she's already being pushed on to the couch, with Holly on top of her. Gail knew this was bound to happen, that they had to do something about this burning heat that was between them before they could truly talk, anything up to that would be just words said for the sake of saying something, so might as well skip all that.

It isn't long before the two are panting in each other's mouths, clothes discarded around the living room, and after the sweet high of release, they take a moment to catch their breath. Holly's resting her head near Gail's bare breasts, and Gail's running her fingers through her hair and staring at the ceiling ,feeling at peace after what could only be too long. Gail can hear the muted buzzing of her phone from somewhere, but she's ignoring that completely.

And again the nagging thought comes back to Gail. That annoying night at the bar, where Lisa belittled her, where Holly didn't say much to defend her. And all the suspicions are back again. The very emotions she had been hoping wouldn't surface again and yet here they are. The thought that maybe all that she's is to Holly is fun. That maybe Holly does think of her as a nothing but a random cop. She just can't shake the way she's feeling spite the fact Holly's right there in her arms, running her fingers softly along her bare skin and it should have been bliss. But Gail couldn't enjoy it. It was breaking her heart to break the calm that was prevailing.

'I just want know something.' Gail begins, not daring to look at Holly. A part of her doesn't want to know the answer, she knows for sure that she's in deep, and if Holly Stewart was damn capable of breaking her heart, she's sure she would never recover from that.

'Hmm.' comes Holly's reply, who's still mindlessly running her fingers along Gail's skin, loving the feel of it.

'You don't think I'm just fun do you?' Gail continues, trying so hard to not come off as too vulnerable. But she's dying to know. That she isn't just one of a string of girls to Holly. That isn't all just fun. Because that would just be devastating, but there wouldn't be anything she could do about that, because she's sure she'll burn herself in that process.

Holly does turn her head to look up to face Gail, who manages to muster some courage to gaze at her.

'Gail, that was just something I told Lisa to get her to shut up. She was worried I was getting caught up in some straight girl mess.'

'Well, are you?' Gail needs to know where she stands in this scenario.

'Am I?' Holly asks back, Gail realizing that only she could answer that one.

Gail knows she's head over heels in love with her, but then again, she wasn't ready to say that. Not now anyway. She sighs and considers the question, feeling Holly's gaze on her.

'You're not. I'm sure of that Hol - that I'm not some confused straight this isn't some straight girl mess either.'

'And you're not some beat cop Gail. I know that hurt you, but you're not. You're not.' Holly re-affirms Gail, slowly moving up and kissing her hard, and Gail doesn't have much of a choice but to agree. It feels good when Holly's right there, kissing her like she does, and she groans as she feels Holly get up and move away from her.

'I've got to get dinner ready sweetie.' Holly laughs giving Gail another kiss as she picks up her shirt off the floor and walking off, leaving Gail on the couch.

Alone, on the couch, the thoughts come back again. It doesn't feel too bad when Holly's kissing her and saying all these sweet things, but when she's alone on the couch here, the doubts come back again. Sometimes she wishes she isn't this insecure, but she really can't help how she's feeling now.

The phone's buzzing again and Gail's losing her cool completely with it and everything she's feeling spite everything just Holly told her and Gail grabs the phone off the table. She realizes it wasn't her phone that was buzzing all this time, it was Holly's. And there are 3 calls and 4 messages, all from Boob job. That throws Gail a bit. If only this woman could shut up and leave them alone already.

_'We are NOT in sixth grade Holly. Stop giving me the silent treatment and PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE.'_

_'For the millionth time, I'm sorry I screwed up things with your one true love with Cop, it's been 3 weeks, talk to me already!'_

_'I can't believe YOU! '_

_'Can my jerk-ass friend pick up the phone please!"_

Gail smiles at the messages, and the childish part of her is glad that Holly isn't talking to Boob Job. The second message makes her smile a lot. Seems like she wasn't the only one in too deep.

She smiles, disregarding her clothes which are all over the floor, and walking to the kitchen.

And the second Holly catches sight of her, she knows one thing for sure.

_Dinner was going to have to wait._


	14. Chapter 14

_**Prompt: Fight Me. A gail-x-holly one, please. I just love reading them. Thank you!**_

_*puts on lawyer suit* Let the record state that Sunglasses here - explicitly wanted a - Fight Me._

_You're all going to hate me for this aren't you. I'm truly sorry._

* * *

You didn't really expect this. You thought that this was it. From the moment you met her, the moment she sneaked you a kiss in the coatroom, the moment she took you and so sweetly sorted out your hair - you knew she was something special. Someone you knew was going to impact your life a lot. But you hadn't expected this.

Now, you look at her and you feel frustration. Completely restless. The thought of her makes you push it away to some dark recess in your mind. You can't understand this. You thought you loved her, you thought finally you met someone you could call yours. After years of being a loner, a superficial part of half-relationships - you assumed at last - this was it. Your search for 'The one' had finally come to an end with Holly. And it certainly felt like that. It did.

Even when she brushed you off as 'having fun' in the bar to Lisa, you hadn't felt too terrible. Hurt - sure - but after few weeks of being without her - you had begun to crave her again. Which is why you couldn't bring yourself to date anyone in that short gap. Though you were the one who was scorned - and you had all the right to do so - you couldn't. Because a part of you had felt that you and Holly? It was meant to be. It did - 2 years ago.

You don't understand why you feel like you do - but you can't deny how feel. You love her, you do - but you can't apprehend this feeling. This uneasiness that has crept up into your stomach. This note of pain that every thought of her brings to your mind. You can't explain it. You truly can't. You just want to run away, leave it all and be alone. You just can't comprehend this. It's as if even though you have found happiness,yet you can't have it. It feels fucking irritating, a part of you wants to pull your hair and scream. But you don't know what to scream. What are you supposed to scream anyway - I have everything I've ever wanted , but I don't want it all now?' Yeah, that sounds really 's going to make you sound selfish, absurd even, but argh how do you change what you feel.

You've tried, for a few weeks you've really tried. You've tried going back to how you did feel just a few months back - spellbound and utterly in love. But you can't. It feels fake. So pretentious. And now you're back to feeling utterly miserable.

You're sitting at your desk and staring into space, lost deep in thought. You try reasoning with yourself - that you were never meant to be happy anyway, that cold people aren't meant to find their better half - that this was all fate. Some people are just meant to be alone - and no matter what you try - no matter how many wonderful people you come across, it's just not going to be work out - because it's not meant to be for you. You're screaming in agony in your mind, you're almost on your knees praying that the way you feel changes, but it doesn't. It's been months now. And you've given up.

Holly doesn't deserve this. A woman as gorgeous, sweet, caring woman as her clearly deserved someone better – atleast someone who would love her. And it's then you decide what you're doing isn't fair to her, at all.

'Gail!' you hear her yell at you in pain, and it clutches your heart so bad. You're halfway out the door, when she rushes to stop you.

'Just talk to me Gail, it's Ok' she's telling you reassuringly, but that only pushes you away more.

'I'm sorry Hol.' you tell her, and you continue on your way out.

You can feel her wishing you talk to her, explain it all - but you're lost for words. You don't know how describe what you feel - you've never been good at sharing emotions anyway.

You're walking out, shutting the door on your way, and you can feel the urge to fall flat on the ground and just wish something can take away all the frustration, pain and anger you feel. You step into the bar, and before you know it - you're already 6 drinks deep in tequila. It's finally when your emotions come to the fore. This horrible frustration and un-fightable urge to destroy everything you find, this anger - this intense, almost white-hot anger you feel at yourself, because you are quite possibly the biggest fool ever.

You fell out of love with the one person who could love you.

Knocking back another drink, you begin to make peace with the fact that you'll probably die alone. Another drink later, it doesn't pain so much.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Prompt: Ok Jugband got another one if you want..."Enamor Me" it can be about Valentine's Day. I won't bother you again. **_

_Ah Ardenkai, I suck at romantic scenarios. I am THAT person who you would not want as your girlfriend on Valentine's Day. Seriously._

* * *

It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, as you are promptly reminded by a lovesick Chloe, and you're stuck in the vicious cycle of 'Do I get my girlfriend a gift?'. You're sure Holly isn't going to feel bad even if you do completely disregard the whole occasion and spent it watching reruns while eating take-out, but you decide that your girlfriend most certainly deserves something. At the end, you decide to not go over the top with the 'romance' theme, and decide to get her a gift.

Now you're stuck in the next cycle of what to get your girlfriend. And you have no one left to ask for gift advice other than Chloe and Traci. The two of them agree that you should get Holly something she wouldn't buy for herself, normally. And you have no idea what that is. Your girlfriend has everything she could possibly want - and you're back to square one - wondering if the occasion needs to be celebrated at all.

After hours of roaming around scores of stores, and deciding against the giant stuffed bear, you decide on a gift. You have no idea if your girlfriend will like it or not - but it's certainly something you know Holly would never get for herself.

It's pretty late by the time you get home, and your girlfriend is already asleep in bed when you find her. Seeing that it's only ten minutes till midnight, you let her sleep till you wake her. You know you're it's supposed to be a mushy, romantic event - but you don't want all that. You know Holly loves you - she knows you love her. That should do. You don't want to actually succumb to tradition here, at the same time - you know if anyone you've dated deserved a special day - it's Holly. So, at midnight you give her a kiss on the cheek and wake her up. She grins that sleepy smile at you, and you can feel yourself turning to mush. Except now you're even more worried if she'd like the gift.

'Happy Valentine's Day, Lunchbox.' you smile, giving her a hard, passionate kiss as she sits up.

'Happy Valentine's Day.' she whispers back in your ear, and you love it when she does that. Gathering all your courage, you bring the little gift-wrapped box to her notice.

'I hope you like it.' you say back, already wishing you hadn't given it to her.

She's genuinely surprised as you hand her the gift, and a part of you truly hopes she likes it. You wait with bated breath as Holly slowly opens the box, forgetting how anxious it can be when someone opens a gift you've given them. Holly gasps in surprise as she sees the gift, and you're already apologizing.

'I'm sorry if you don't like it I'll take it -' you don't really finish that sentence as Holly's kissing you again, and you finally decide you've done well.

'Shut up Gail, I LOVE it!' Holly exclaims, taking the watch out of the box and wearing it, grinning like an excited kid. It's a silver one, with an engraved strap. You can't help but join in her joy, feeling elated at having gotten your girlfriend a gift she liked.

'You do?'

'I do. Thank you.' she says with a smile and starts kissing you again, wiring you up for a long, passionate night.

The next morning, you wake up with a silly smile on your face, with your girlfriend in your arms. She's still wearing the watch; she wore it all night, though she wasn't quite dressed in any other way. You're smiling as you see her sleeping face till a thought strikes you.

_Where's my gift?_

Immediately you're wondering if Holly got you a present, and you're excited. Of course she got you a gift. She's the best ever. In a few minutes Holly wakes up and gives you a little kiss before getting up to get ready for the day. It may be Valentine's Day, but you both have still got to work.

You're ready downstairs shoving toast in your mouth when Holly comes down for her cup of coffee.

'Did you get me anything?' you ask, and you immediately bite your tongue at that. You're not supposed to ask for gifts. You're supposed to receive them.

Holly turns around to look at you in surprise, and your hopes sink a little.

' I didn't know you wanted a gift.' she replies and your hopes are dashed. You had been hoping against hope that you'd get a gift, but there's no chance of that at all. You're sure you face gives away your disappointment because the next minute she's holding your hand and sitting next to you.

'I'm sorry Gail, I thought you didn't like occasions like Valentine's Day.'

You decide it's time to get your Ice Queen mask back in order, and you brush it all off as random curiosity. You finish eating and get ready to leave and almost rush out of the house before Holly can do anything more. She's barely given you a kiss good bye before you're half out the door, running off to work.

You spend the whole day cranky, and the others assume it's just you being the cold, heartless person you normally are. Internally, you're going over the million reasons why Holly didn't get you anything. Perhaps you're not a good enough girlfriend, you aren't girlfriend material etc etc. By the time your shift ends, you're maxed out on crankiness and sarcasm. You resolve to show your girlfriend that you're pissed with her by going straight to bed. You reach home and climb upstairs to the bedroom and are about to throw yourself on the bed when you notice a package on the bed.

It isn't gift-wrapped or anything, and being the curious cat you are, you tear open the box and exclaim in surprise.

It's a brand new PSP - and when you switch it on - you can see it's already preloaded with all your favorite games. Games which aren't even PSP compatible.

'Did you really think I'd not get you anything?' you can hear Holly's voice from the bathroom, and you're kicking yourself for even thinking that your girlfriend would forget you.

'How did you get Mortal Kombat vs D.C Universe on this thing!' you exclaim in glee, already loading a game to play. Damn this is the best present ever.

'I know a friend who rewrites games for different interfaces. 'Holly replies and you realize she probably gave way more thought to this gift than you did.

You're half way through killing Sub-Zero when you hear Holly stepping into the room.

'You can play with that - Or' you glance up to see Holly dressed in some very lacy red lingerie and your throat goes dry. _Screw the game_. You throw the PSP aside as Holly walks into the room, as seductive as ever.

'Happy Valentine's Day, Gail.'

_Happy Valentine's Day to me indeed._


	16. Chapter 16

_**Prompt : Zip me please!**_

_Okie Dokie Sunglasses_.

* * *

There are moments like these which make you really resent the fact that your girlfriend is a police officer. Apart from the obvious reasons - you hate the fact that you can't be mad at your girlfriend for long. Mostly, it works well for you but sometimes you truly wish you could knock some sense into your headstrong girlfriend by keeping her in the dog house for a few days, but you also know that if something were to happen to your police officer girlfriend in that time - you would never forgive yourself. So when Gail stomped out of the house in anger that morning -not so much giving you a second glance, you know you've got to make peace with her. Not just for her sake, but for your own as well.

So after five minutes of ranting to yourself, you get ready to head down to the precinct. You know if she could, Gail would come back and calm you down, but you know she does not have much time to do that. So you rush down to the precinct yourself, and a flash of your smile and ID and the officers let you in down to the dressing rooms.

Gail seems to be the only one there, and she seems to be quite set with her uniform. You stand at the entry and glare at her, waiting till she looks up and notices you. Gail does, of course, being the ever perceptive cop she is.

'Hol, I know this is sudden but you've got to understand that I've got to do this.' she says, trying to make you understand why this is so important to her, to her job. You don't really listen to her. You will never be able to understand why she puts her life on the line - nor why she gets this pleasure out of doing this risky, terrifying job everyday - and you're pretty sure you never will understand anyway. Right now, you just want her to know that you love her, though you're mad at the circumstances.

So without a word, you grab the tie that was lying outside, the one your girlfriend was about to take and wear on, and now - she's giving you that look.

_You don't give me that look. I give you that look._

She gives in first - of course -and stands in front of you, waiting for you to give it back or to say something. You take the tie and start tying it on her.

Gail always wore the old-fashioned ties, shunning clip-ons. Her father taught her to wear a tie in all the possible ways - and she always wore her uniform tie with a simple Windsor knot.

You gently pop the collar of her dress shirt, and take the two ends of the tie, somehow managing to run your fingers along her neck as you do. You can feel her take a sharp breath, and you internally grin at that, but you still keep your face stern as you tie it on her.

You can feel her eyes searching intently for any sign of her being let off the hook. But you keep your face as cross as you can. As you finish tying it, you slowly run your fingers along the blade of the tie, not looking into her face. You know by now you're a sucker for her blue eyes, and you're carefully avoiding them. You're done with the tie and you're about to set her shirt collar right and as you do, she grabs your hand and your gaze immediately goes to her face.

She's looking concerned at you, with those blue eyes that stare into your soul, and it's your turn to give in.

You relax your expression and you look at her, and like you always do, you remember every detail about it. It's become this habit with you, every time she steps out you memorize every tiny aspect about it, if it ever becomes the last. You pray fervently it never does become the last time, but a part of you always remembers it all, just in case.

She gives you a soft, reassuring smile as she brings your hand to her lips for a quick kiss. You love these conversations you have, no words, just meaningful gazes which only the other could decipher, because no words would ever suffice to express what you want to say. She realizes she's getting late for parade and you let her go. She leaves, but not without giving you a deep kiss and a wordless promise that she'll be home safe in your arms tonight.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Prompt Set #379 5. They make me uncomfortable. Gail &amp; Holly.**_

* * *

_Slightly tweaked I suppose, Groupie. Slightly tweaked. Hope you don't mind._

_Damn that blonde. Gail. Whatever her name is._

Of all the random people you could get assigned a room with, you had to get the one with the hottest blonde. And to think this trip to Europe was to take your mind off all that sexually confusing things you left behind.

In reality - Gail wasn't that bad a room-mate, a temporary one at that - but what really got on your nerves was that the blonde was equal parts trying and tempting. It didn't help that all her clothes clung to her in this way that got you smacking your lips - and whenever she got dressed in the room - it was all you could do but run your tongue over her pale skin.

This is Europe, you tell yourself, you could let yourself go - and you would never run into her ever again - but you're not that confident yet. Budding med students weren't, usually. And that wasn't the only spoke in the giant scheme of everything. Gail was a loner who fought to fend off others with wit that always was a smidgeon too sharp. You had gotten a taste of that yourself when she made it extremely clear that she wanted the bottom bunk. Something about if she ever found you in the bottom bunk - you would find yourself at the bottom of the Danube. Very intimidating. Very tantalizing the way her blue eyes glinted as she said that. Ugh.

It's late at night, and Gail hasn't come back yet. Not that you should care. After all, you were leaving back home the next day. So you decide to write in your little journal before going to sleep, sitting on the sole chair in the tiny room overlooking the city.

* * *

When Gail does get back it's almost dawn, and she locks the door behind her as she steps into the room. You look up to see her glaring at you with that icy stare of hers, and you can already feel your breath rising.

_Calm the gay, Hol._

"I've seen you looking at me, Nerd." Gail begins, and you're sweating. _Great job on calming the gay there._

"So, why don't you have your fill?" she finishes, and that takes the breath right out of you. Did you just hear that right?

You don't say anything - but Gail settles on the bed, propped on her elbows and looking at you, expectantly.

For a good five minutes you don't move. Your brain's in overdrive. You've probably scribbled a very shaky 'fuck' across your journal, before the pen slips from your hand. You haven't taken your eyes off her, just seeing her chest rise and fall as she breathes is enough for now - you really can't muster the audacity to get up and walk over to her. But she's still lying there - waiting for you to take her - staring at you - as if she were testing you, daring you to best her.

_Can this just slow down._

After the longest five minutes of your life thus far, with Gail still staring at you - now with one eyebrow raised but no other change in her expression - damn it. Be reckless for once.

So you get up - the journal falling to the floor but that's the last thing you notice. Right now you just want to go over to that lower bunk and do whatever your brain came up with the ravishing blonde offering herself to you.

In slow-motion you try to go over the two feet between you and her –and you almost trip over the journal on the floor

_Don't trip and fall on her._

_Don't trip and fall on her._

Ages later - you've finally crossed the great chasm, and now you're hovering over her slightly over her, almost on top of her - trembling, all sorts of awkward thoughts running through your head.

_Is this for real? Wait what about my glasses? Should I take off my glasses? Won't they bump her? Why am I thinking about my glasses when I could be kissing those lips? What is this?_

You're inching your face closer and closer towards her, gulping as you do, trying to go over everything you learnt about kissing before you press your lips against hers. The lack of change in her expression isn't reassuring - but you truly want to pull it off. Best her. Show her that you were just as tempting as she could be.

After what feels like eternity of tense breathing and nerves - your lips are almost touching hers, barely - and you're preparing your mind to take in this moment. The reality of all this happening.

"What you're waiting for?" she whispers in your mouth, and that's more than you can take.

* * *

"NERD!"

"What!" You jerk awake, pen still in hand, journal still in your lap. NO, it was a dream.

"That's making me uncomfortable you know."

"Huh?" you stutter back, too confused to use words.

"You - moaning my name - out loud in your sleep. I don't think a lot of people are cool with that."

_Oh God._


	18. You Know It! - Animals

**Prompt: Is that supposed to scare me? **

_The doctor gets more interesting by the minute._

You're sitting in a dark corner of the bar - toying absentmindedly with the drink in your hand. You haven't left the doctor out of your sights, in spite the frenzy of girls dancing all around, music blaring and the whole joint pumping with energy from all the people in here. You're eyeing her carefully - smirking slightly in your booth, itching to get up and drag the brunette to some corner of the bar and have your way with her - but that wasn't as easy as you could think it to be.

The doctor eventually does notice you staring her down and disappears into the crowd - hoping to lose you.

_What a tease. _

She didn't know you weren't the type to lose people you had set your sights on.

* * *

_Jesus, how do people actually enjoy this._

You're fiddling with the book you managed to grab a hold of, all the time carefully making sure Holly doesn't notice you behind her. She seems engrossed in the hugest book she could find in the library, barely looking up.

_Wow, and you can take care of yourself. Ha!_

This does seem like the isolated part of the library - not a soul in sight - making the task of tailing this woman all the more difficult.

You're sitting as obnoxiously as you can, legs right up on the table, holding up the book and pretending that this isolated section of the library was the perfect spot to read. You're actually staring Holly down, lusting after the contours of her face and that stray lock of hair. You're licking your lips thinking of the pathologist in all sorts of situations you really shouldn't be thinking of.

_Well, I've got to play the part_. you tell yourself to justify your rather perverted thoughts.

After what feels like hours, Holly finally closes the book and is about to leave, not noticing you at first, till she walks back to make sure.

"It is you. What are you doing here?"

You haven't moved at all, except for setting the book on your lap, your legs still up on the table.

"What's wrong in reading a book?"

"Nothing - I just didn't peg cops dishonored for drug dealing as Kafka fans." Holly replies, sass lining her words but that's the last thing you notice.

_Imagine that voice moaning in your ear. Oh. _

"If you must know, my boss was a huge fan. He recommended it." you smirk back, your tongue licking the back of your teeth as you do.

Holly's clearly lost that round of trying to insult you, so she shrugs and turns back to leave.

"Hey Doc!" you call out, beckoning her back to you.

"You should be careful, you know." you warn her, a sly smile stuck on your face.

"Is that supposed to scare me." she replies with a little snort, running her tongue along her lower lip.

"Maybe."

"Goodbye Peck." she laughs, leaving you in the library.

_Stubborn, and stupid. What a catch._

A minute later, you get up and follow her right to the busiest bar in town.

* * *

Wading through the drunk girls dancing the night out, you see Holly leaning at the bar, ordering another drink from the bartender. You notice him slip something into and you shake your head at that.

_And this is the smartest doctor in Toronto. _

The minute he serves up the drink, you're right on to Holly, almost knocking over someone else as you do.

"Hey there Doc."

"Are you following me Peck?" she asks, thankfully not too drunk but in aextremely playful mood.

"The boss always recommended a scotch after Kafka." you reply, carefully moving the drink away from her as you do.

"I must warn you." Holly states, running her fingers along your forearm, leaning into your side.

"I don't do bad girls." she whispers in your ear, and that's enough to make you weak in the knees.

_Oh that changes tonight. _

The next thing you do remember is slamming Holly hard against the wall at the back of one of the dark and lonely walkways of the bar, running your hands under her tight shirt, she's pulling your shirt off and you're already pulling those jeans down her legs.

_Oh well, this does count as keeping her safe._

* * *

"Why must I be undercover! I can be keep an eye on her without pretending to be a drug peddler!" you reason with Oliver, and he shakes his head at that.

"The good Doctor is just as stubborn as you are Peck. If she catches you keeping an eye on her - she'll fly right off the handle. She's already warned us that if she's ever followed by the department she'll hand in her resignation. And we need her."

"Is the whole public humiliation for drug dealing necessary though? Can't I just be pretend-discharged on quieter terms?"

" things. She can't know you're a cop. She can't know you're keeping an eye on her."

"Why is she such a hot target anyway?"

"She's got evidence that charges the head of the mafia with murder. It's not surprising everyone wants her head on a plate." Oliver explains to you.

"And she isn't scared at all?"

"According to her, she can take care of herself just fine."

You frown at operation was going to suck so much.

Seeing a picture of her on the table, a snap from a camera far off, you remember just how hot Dr. Stewart was.

"Atleast she's hot."

"The third thing Peck, is to not sleep with her."


	19. You Know It! - Best Friend

_This Goes with CHAPTER 18 of this fic._

_Hi Deb! _

_And if this lacks logic- it's probably coz it does._

* * *

_You know what's funnier than tailing someone? Tailing someone who absolutely wants to get away from you._

It's been 2 days since your little tryst with the doctor, and it's been amusing so far to see the doctor outright ignore you every time she catches a glimpse of you - so far that you've actually made your presence very obvious a few times just to see her squirm. You aren't evil - but following Holly around has been rather boring - a little fun won't harm anyone.

Right now you're parked right across from the morgue - legs right up on the dash and carefully keeping an eye on Holly. You know as soon she is in the morgue there wasn't any threat to her at all, so you're making sure she gets there in one piece.

Eyeing her through the camera lens - you can't help but zoom into those tight jeans through her huge coat and grin at yourself, that is till you realize that she's coming right over to the car.

_Oh crap. _

Stuffing the camera under a few newspapers nearby, you kick the stereo on to pretend that you're just chilling in the car to some music. The loud trumpets that blare from the speakers weren't exactly what you were expecting but it would have to do because Holly was right outside the car, knocking on the glass.

"Good afternoon Doctor." you smile with your cheekiest grin, rolling down the glass.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, clearly annoyed at seeing you everywhere.

"Oh - you know - Chilling." you reply, nodding along to the music.

"Yeah - listen, that night at the bar - that was just a onetime thing." she begins, gesturing wildly and swallowing her words.

"Of course, of course." you nod, still smiling widely.

"I hope you understand that."

"I do." you shake your head, quite unable to wipe the wise-ass grin on your face.

"It's rather creepy seeing you everywhere I go."

"Maybe that's 'coz I'm so memorable." you suggest smugly.

"Yeah - just can you - stop - this?" she urges.

"OH YEAH! Sure thing Doc." you reassure her, nodding way too much than necessary - till Holly's assured that you got the message.

Still a little unsure, Holly walks back to the precinct, while you can't help but huff at what just happened.

_Well Doc, looks like I've got to keep my head low a bit._

No sooner than Holly strolls into the precinct, 2 huge SUV's pull out in front of it - and you groan immediately. _And I wanted to take the afternoon off._

* * *

**_You:_** WHO'S AT THE MORGUE!

**_Traci:_** PRICE.

You roll your eyes at that. _Terrific._

* * *

**_You:_** PRICE. STEAL HOLLY'S COAT AND KEEP HER OCCUPIED. NOW.

**_Princess Barf_**_:_ Why?

**_You_****:** JUST DO IT. MEET YOU IN AN HOUR.

**_Princess Barf:_** But Why?

**_You_**: FOR THE LOVE OF CHEESE PUFFS JUST DO IT.

**_Princess Barf:_** Wait how long can I keep her occupied - her shift ends at 6.

**_You:_** Half hour past six. And don't you dare let her out of the morgue till then.

**_Princess Barf:_** Why do you need her coat?

**_You:_** Don't question my methods.

This - was a stupid idea. But you aren't sure of the jurisdiction of your power so perhaps this was a good idea after all. The goons loitering near the SUV seemed all brawn and not much brain. And you and Holly were pretty much the same height. So, to pull this off you needed a few props, which you drive around for a while for.

* * *

"Gail - what's all this?"

"Shut up and just hand me her coat already?"

It's about to be six, meaning the thugs outside must be lying in wait for Holly.

"Where did you even get a brunette wig?" Chloe bugs you on, and you don't have time for this.

"I'll tell you about it later."

"What exactly are you planning Gail?"

_Something really stupid._

You don't say that out loud, and in silence just trying to hide up as much as your face behind Holly's glasses.

_GEEZ I'M BLIND. Ok I'll wear that last._

"Here. Alert someone if you can't find me in 24 hours. And if you see anything suspicious on that - Go to Oliver immediately." you instruct her, stuffing the tracker in her palm and really not in the mood for anymore instructions and questions.

"Who is this tracking?"

"Holly."

"Gail don't you think you should get some back up on this?"

"I'll leave you to be the judge of that. Don't do anything stupid.""

"THIS IS STUPID."

"Goodbye Price."

Plan was pretty simple. Step out like Holly would have, and hopefully the not-to-bright thugs would assume you were Holly and take you instead, and that should take the heat off Holly - till they found out you weren't the pathologist of-course. What happens after that? Well you'll think off that later.

Right now, you're rushing out the Morgue, stuffing the glasses on to your face.

Soon enough, someone bashes you in the head, and it's all black.

* * *

Gagging on air, you wake up only to find yourself zip-tied to a chair, bright light shining in your face. Getting used to the light, you squint and try to find out what woke you up. You see Holly right across from you - zip tied to the chair herself - slowly stirring. You're too shocked to even comprehend what's going on - till Holly manages to wake up enough.

"You? What are you doing here?" she yells, and that snaps you out your daze.

"UH - you know - Chilling." you reply and she's just looking back at you - utterly confused and annoyed enough to bite your head off.

_Not your finest moment._

"WHY is your hair like a stripper's - and WHY are you wearing MY coat - and - "

Holly suddenly seemed to grasp what was going on mid-sentence - and she's staring back at you - horrified. You, on the other hand are trying to figure some way out of this place- but it looks like a sealed room, with no one else inside. At least whoever kidnapped you took Holly's powerful glasses off you.

_All up to you now Chloe._

"You were never thrown off the force were you." she explains, putting it all together.

"You were tailing me to keep me safe."

"Well done, Sherlock. Now explain how did you manage to get yourself caught AFTER I threw myself in their grasp?"

"I don't know - they must have been lying in wait or something? All I remember was rushing back to my car to see if I left my coat there and someone whacked me on the head." Holly reasons out.

You just shake your head at that, hoping and praying that Chloe would do the right thing soon.

"What do we do. WHAT do we do?" Holly begins panicking and seeing her breath hard and her chest heaving - of all the things you should be feeling - being turned on was NOT on one of them. But it's hot. _Damn._

"Relax. The force is tracking you." you reassure her, hoping Holly doesn't panic too much.

"How? I don't have my glasses - they broke my watch."

"Let's just say there's a tracking device on your person Doc."

Holly can't seem to figure out what that means, so she's looking back at you confused again.

"You know, Doc - the Belly Button Ring was definitely a nice surprise. So kinky. " you begin, that smug smile sneaking on to your face again. Holly - however is turning red in anger.

"YOU PUT A TRACKING DEVICE ON MY BELLY RING?! THAT'S WHY YOU SLEPT WITH ME?"

Seeing that you're turned on even in these rather harsh conditions - you contemplate that accusation a little.

_Maybe - Maybe Not. _


	20. Chapter 20

_**Prompt: "Stories are just that. Stories."**_

_Three cheers for Devil-spawn maltdorge._

_Assume all assumptions. _

_Debby. Will we ever be happy?_

* * *

_San Francisco isn't that bad._

You've been here for a week, and that's all the time you have here. It's the last day of your so-called time-off - the one your mother and Oliver said you most rightly deserved but you can't remember why exactly you chose this city. Sure it's nice and sunny, quite a spectacular vacation spot, but whether your choice of holiday area had any underlying urge - you weren't sure at the beginning.

The last few days went by like a breeze with nothing else bothering your mind, but now that the time to leave is quite near - tonight - perhaps it was time for your subconscious desires to surface.

That would explain why you're sitting outside on this bench across the street from the San Francisco Police Department, impatiently tapping your foot and trying to think what exactly you're doing here.

It's been 2 years since Holly left you (and Toronto) and promises to keep in touch were slowly forgotten over the months. That still doesn't explain why you're just sitting here instead of giving her a call and meeting up with her. Maybe on some level - you don't want to meet her? Just a little reassurance that she's fine. Just a glimpse of her to refresh your memory. This isn't any different than looking up an ex on Facebook to see how they're doing - right?

You can't decide. Perhaps you had spent the last few days in San Francisco aimlessly wandering about the city - hoping to bump into her by accident? Maybe.

And now that it's the last day - you had somehow decided you had to up your chances?

Can't safely say that either.

But it's weirdly comforting to just sit here while the world rushes on around you. Oddly endearing even - to think of days you had pushed to a corner of your mind after Holly left.

That wasn't a very difficult thing to do. To completely squish all that happened to a little box and never think about again - even when either of you spoke on the phone. But sitting here - revaluating your feelings from that very jittery time, it's bringing up questions you never knew you wanted to ask.

Aimlessly scanning the crowds and traffic rushing by, it's bitterly amusing to think off.

You thought this woman was the love of your life, yet here you are - sitting afar, waiting for a glimpse of somebody you used to know.

After a while, you aren't even looking through the crowds intensely, just sitting there - lost in thought.

And that's when you see her, walking down the steps of the department, not even looking through the crowds. Funny - you thought when the moment you saw her you would somehow jerk back to being yourself - but you're as still as ever.

Some officer coming behind her stops her and they two begin to have a brief conversation outside the police station - and while pulling a lock of her hair behind her ear, she finally sees you. She's understandably stunned, and a minute later the police officer leaves her alone. You get up from the bench - but you don't quite have enough energy yet to cross the road to talk to her, and seeing her - neither does she.

So it's the two of you, standing on either side of the road - looking at each other in surprise. It takes a minute for you to smile and wave a bit before getting across the road.

A quick hug and hurried explanations of all possible trivialities later, the two of you are slowly walking through the crowds towards Holly's apartment.

You learn that Holly's been good - just gotten out of a relationship (like you.) and was in the process of getting back out there. You're just nodding along and drinking it all in - after all that was the aim of this day and you loitering outside the police department.

"I see you've grown your hair." Holly jokes, walking on in that snail's pace you've kept up since you left the department.

"Yeah, I think I looked like a copse long enough." you reply in your sarcastic tone, focusing more of your attention on your footsteps. Holly laughs her little laugh in reply - and the two of you continue on in silence, save the bustle of San Francisco.

"Do you ever think about us?" she asks, and it's a loaded question. Of course you do, but you don't want to admit that outright.

"Sometimes, sometimes." you nod, considering the question. "You were the love of my life after all."

Holly just gives you a flash of her lop-sided smile before turning back to look back at the ground.

"Maybe I just thought so - because it was all so different - you know - being with a woman for the first time and all that - I just thought it was love." you ramble on, not quite sure where all this was coming from.

"It wasn't just you." is Holly's reply - and you smile back at her for that.

"I'm serious! I had all these pictures in my mind of me handcuffed to you - it was so stereotypical and story-like in my head." she chuckles, and you smile at that mental image, before sobering up a little.

"That's the thing about stories though, they're just that." you sigh, and Holly nods in agreement.

The two of you continue on in silence till you're both outside Holly's apartment building.

"You sure you don't want to come in for a while?" she pleads with you - but it's late and the both of you know that well.

"My flight back's tonight - I've got to go Hol." you reply and she sees that you truly can't stay awhile - and you realize that your little rendezvous was now over.

She grabs you into this bear hug and you can't help but hold her close as well.

"It's weird. I'd never thought we'd have a last kiss." she reminisces in your ear and you too think back to your kiss farewell at the airport 2 years ago.

"Yeah. I know."

Finally stepping back from the hug and half promises to keep in touch later, Holly disappears into the huge apartment building, leaving you standing out here - not really sure of what to feel again.


	21. You Know It! - Take Me OUT!

_This relates to CHAPTER 18 and 19 of this fic. _

_I always assumed people hate rom-coms. Huh._

_And oh - leave all your logic and sense here._

_Debby darling - it pains me but - do move on from me._

* * *

_Talk about awkward._

This is extremely awkward, with Holly trying to set you on fire with her glare, and you doing everything you can to hide the fact that you're extremely turned on right now.

_Stop looking at her breasts. Stop looking at her breasts._

That would easy if anything else but her was in your field of vision, but except for the bright light and the void of this silent room – there wasn't anything. Plus you aren't that worried - knowing that Chloe would be on her way to get you out of here anytime soon.

_Me getting rescued by Chloe. Oh how the mighty have fallen._

"Do you have ANYTHING to say for yourself." Holly asks, clearly still enraged by your little addition to her belly button ring.

Considering the question - and feeling extremely cheeky, you decide to be honest.

"No." you shrug and reply - and you're sure if Holly wasn't tied to the chair she would probably slap you hard across the face for that.

Things relapse back to awkward silence again, but thankfully not for long - you can hear faint voices from the other side.

_About time._

A few muffled sounds and a bang later, a torch shines onto your face from somewhere to your left and you can make out its Chloe and Duncan.

_Thank God._

"Over here!" you yell out and the two quickly jog over to you.

The minute Chloe does see you, the first thing she does is smack you hard on the head.

"OWW!"

"I TOLD YOU THIS WAS STUPID." she admonishes, in that weird Chloe way of hers.

"Thank you!" Holly exclaims, in supposed relief, as Duncan cuts her zip-ties and then goes back to meddling with the tracker. You scowl in reply and Holly, though free from her restraints - doesn't move from the chair except to rub her wrists.

"Told anyone else we're here?" you ask Chloe, who's busy with your zip-ties.

"Oliver. You have to meet him with Holly after this." she informs you, and that doesn't sound good.

_It has to be done. _You mentally prepare yourself - when you notice Duncan hovering the tracking device about Holly's chest.

_Uh oh._

"WHAT are you doing?" Holly snaps, but Duncan can't seem to sense the anger in her voice.

"Oh this tracker is accurate to an inch. So I'm just - "

"DUNCAN!" you yell out his right name for once, knowing very well that Holly was also an inch close to taking the idiot rookie's gun and killing him with it.

"Yeah?"

"I'll take that - thanks." you mumble grabbing the tracker and stuffing it in your - or rather Holly's coat pocket before getting up and getting ready to rush right out of here.

"You make a really good brunette Officer." Duncan starts again and it's your turn to want to kill him.

"Shut up Gerald."

* * *

To say Oliver was pissed, seemed an understatement - just a tad though.

"I did my best Oliver!" you try and reason with him.

"By borrowing a wig from one of the strippers we rounded up the other day! And did you manage to keep her safe? I wouldn't call being abducted along with you - safe." he huffs, pacing around the room - making arrangements for the next person to take care of Holly - probably somewhere far from here.

"What are we going to do with her?" you ask, thankfully assuming that Holly wasn't your responsibility anymore.

"We're going to have to send you both far away - Dawson seems good, but you'll have to take a train from here to Winnipeg and figure a way from there." Oliver mutters, shifting papers and obviously flustered.

"Wha- what do you mean you both?" you question, as if you didn't figure the answer to that already.

"You and Doctor Stewart. Obviously." he replies in surprise.

"Don't you think someone else should go with her? Haven't I done enough?"

"Look - Peck, I'm pretty sure the mafia have their beef with you now as well - and I don't think I can spare any other officers on this."

"So I'm supposed to have my life just put on hold and go with her?" you fight back in annoyance. Travelling across the country with the doctor who wanted to skin you alive didn't seem the better alternative to everyday life.

"Well - Peck, it's not like you have anything going on in your life." Oliver replies, gathering up a few files, before heading out - presumably to brief Holly about everything. Your jaw drops hearing that_. I'm expendable?_

"What if she refuses to come with me?" you try, desperate for any reason to not go on this wild trip.

"Why - why would she refuse to go with you?" Oliver asks, and you know you're screwed. If you weren't already.

"THE ONE THING I ASK YOU NOT TO DO." he groans out loud before slamming the door behind him, leaving you very alone and very annoyed.

Half hour later, Oliver returns and thrusts Chloe's credit card in your hand and gives you a long list of instructions - including to not try and contact anyone except himself and to not try anything else stupid. Apparently Oliver somehow convinced Holly to let you tag along on this trip.

"When do we leave?"

"Tonight. And this will be for a few weeks Gail." he replies decidedly and you can see things are getting very real quickly now.

"Wait don't I have to pack something?" you ask in surprise, not liking any of this one bit. Oliver just nods his head at the card before rushing out again.

"Oh and Peck?"

"Yeah?"

"Because you so-deliberately disobeyed me - there's been a slight addition to your cover story."

* * *

_When all this is done with, I'm going to kill Oliver._

You and Holly are sitting on a train to Winnipeg, with absolutely nothing on the two of you - save Chloe's card and a burner phone. You're scowling out the window, trying to wrap your head around the past 5 hours.

_So I'm on a train to Winnipeg, to serve and protect the woman I had a one night stand with and then got abducted with._ That's too much to bear right now. Especially the last bit of the 'cover story' Oliver had added. How did he convince Holly to play along - you'll never know.

"So, listen - " Holly begins, but you can't take anymore. Not tonight.

"Yeah, Doc, it's been a long day - I've been hit on the head by Chloe, called a brunette by Gerald, and sent across the country with you. That's about how much I can take - so let's just have a conversation when I don't want to strangle someone." you rant out, quite out of breath by the end of that, and you return to scowl at the window once again.

Holly just mouths 'Okay' and falls back into her seat and watches the scenery rushing past.

A few minutes later, a random woman gets into the same compartment as the two of you and settles on the seat next to Holly.

"Man, your wife looks pissed." this woman remarks to Holly, and you immediately turn your head that.

_What!_

Holly, instead of being stunned at that, simply slides her hand over yours and holds it tight. Damn Oliver and his way with words and making Holly ready for this.

"Yeah." Holly begins, and turns to wink at you before continuing.

"She's had a rough day."

_Are you freaking kidding me._


	22. You Know It! - Fossils

_I didn't know so many of you liked rom-coms. Leave logic here. _

"You do realize you don't HAVE to come with me." Holly explains for the fifth time, and for the fifth time you cut her mid-sentence. You really couldn't bear the whole self-sacrificing speech you were sure Holly had ready. Besides you couldn't leave her like that. You were evil, not inhuman.

"So, what's the stuff we need?" you go over again with Holly, for the millionth time, and you know she would probably pull your hair out if you weren't on a rather crowded train.

"Flight Tickets. A laptop. Clothes. Phones. Those seem to be the bare necessities we'll need in Dawson." she lists out, and you're busy thinking about one more very crucial addition to that list as the train pulls into the station.

"We don't have much time to get out of here." you explain, remembering Oliver's instruction to get out of Winnipeg in a day.

_This is going to be a long day._

Remembering that you've got Chloe's credit card, you grin to yourself. _Well let's make it worthwhile._

* * *

After managing to buy a laptop and a portable hard-disk, (along with a few computer games you sneaked to the counter.), the two of you somehow agreed that you needed to get to a hotel at least for a while.

"Let's go to the Inn at the Forks." you decide, directing the cab driver to one of the most luxurious hotels in the city.

"Are you sure we have enough money for that honey?" Holly asks, rather surprised at your extravagance. You on the other hand really wish Holly would cut it with the wife act.

"I'm sure Oliver has arranged something with the bank. And till then we're staying in style. Dear." _Gosh who knew it was so hard to be married._

Literally running to the room, Holly immediately sets up the laptop. Apparently she had a lot of data she needed to retrieve and she had promised to do so via a proxy server and to not contact anyone in the process. You, on the other hand, needed to get on to purchase your urgent need.

"Okay, I'll book the tickets out of here." Holly mutters, madly typing away at the laptop.

"You stay here at the hotel and do not go anywhere. I'll go out and get us some phones and let Oliver know where we're at. And some shoes. Meanwhile once your data whatever is synced - do something about your hair."

"What? Why?" she asks indignantly.

"Just do something that it isn't so obvious it is you." you hurriedly explain - trying to rush out as quickly as you can.

"So cut it like yours?" she jibes, still not looking up from the laptop.

"No, I like it long." you blurt out, before you can stop yourself.

"What?" At that, Holly turned her head to look at you as if you were insane.

"Well - it is nice and -"you drawl out, racking your brain for any acceptable words to use.

"You sure you haven't got a hair fetish or something?" Holly asks, rather concerned.

"What? NO!"

"You did manage a wig of hair that looked a lot like mine with relative ease..."Holly rambles on.

"NO - just." you groan, dragging your palm down your face in exasperation. "Just look - get some bangs or color it or get some highlights. I've gotta go." you state before running out the door and absolutely stumped about where to get the next item of your checklist.

* * *

You managed a phone and after establishing a secure connection with Oliver, and he had given you a very obvious place to get what you're looking for. But the prospect of actually heading there and doing that seemed harsh. _Desperate times call for desperate measures._

Walking into the old antique store, which you were told was actually a front for black-market goods, you were supposed to make a very twisted deal and hope to get away with it too. So, you're fidgeting and trying to be on guard so that the Don's men didn't smell a rat.

And when the head of the Mafia herself does walk out, you're gulping quite loud.

"What can I do for you?" she asks in her husky voice and you don't waste time in snapping back into character. But you're too curious at same time.

"What are you doing here Godmother? I thought you were in Toronto." you manage, hoping your nervousness wasn't that obvious.

"Well I was in Toronto. Till this hippie forensic pathologist found some critical evidence against me - so I've had to retire back to home territory for a while, while my boys take care of her." The Godmother had her way of enunciating potentially spine-chilling words just enough to get her point across. On the whole - very intimidating. You aren't exactly sure why - but your reaction to that is to laugh, and you're trying your best to choke down your laughter - except that's even harder and you end up laughing this nervous laughter. The Don however, begins her laugh seeing you laugh, and this awkward laughter continues for a whole minute.

"So, you're just managing the ol' antique shop till then?" you joke through your laughter, all the while painfully nervous inside.

"Ah it's something to pass the time. Plus keeps my hands clean. " The Don smiles back at you. Well if she didn't have her men abduct you - you're sure you would have been quite good friends.

"So what is it you're looking for?"

"A Glock 17."

The Don does prick her ears at that. Normally cute blondes didn't go about asking for black-market firearms.

"If you need any protection you know where to come to." The Don suggests, and you can see the irony in that. The Don offering you safety from the Don. Very ironic indeed.

"It's no problem Godmother - it's not for me - it's for my sister. She's needs a bit of help getting away from a stalker boyfriend." you spit out as if rehearsed. Wait why did I do that?

The Don nods, understanding, and is about to disappear behind closed doors to get you the gun, except you've got another request to ask of her.

"I will be travelling with her tonight Godmother. We're flying out of here." you explain, and she seems to get what it is you are asking of her at once.

"So you need it delivered beyond the security checkpoint." she states and you nod in reply. You've sweat through your shirt, with all the nerves from this conversation.

"That is going to cost you a lot."

"I'll pay whatever it takes Godmother." hoping this was buttering up the Don to actually come through. You would have kissed her ring if you could, you're that desperate.

By some stroke of luck, she agrees - and goes on to tell you where exactly to meet one of her men to get the gun. Settling everything with her and as you're about to leave the little store, you can't help but ask another question.

"The hippie pathologist - now that you're here - you don't have to kill her anymore - right?" you ask, hopeful that the answer would give you some hope as to getting back home soon.

"I don't have to. But I would like to." she replies with this little twinkle in her eye and that's was the single most spine chilling thing you've ever heard.

"She drove me out of my own city and has made me hole up here. No one drives me out of my city." the Don finishes, her tone swiftly changing from jovial to menacing. Your palm is wet enough that the door almost slides out of your grip.

"Well - Good Luck to her." you smile back with all you've got before stumbling out of the store.

_Good luck to her indeed._

* * *

You rush back to the hotel having no intention of breathing a word of what happened to Holly. Holly by now had gotten herself a very neat haircut - with front fringes trimmed to right above her brows and dense golden highlights - on the whole looking remarkably different from how you left her. Running around through the nearby mall for a couple of clothes, a huge pair of sunglasses, baseball caps, a handbag and a suitcase - finally after packing everything up - the two of you shared a sumptuous and rather silent meal at the extravagant hotel. You can almost picture Oliver trying to mentally strangle you for spending so much money - but if you're going to spend the next few weeks in Dawson, you weren't going softly.

At the end of it all - the two of you ended up here, waiting for your flight at the airport. Well technically you waiting for something far more important.

After getting a message to meet the guy who was supposed to handover the goods, you urge Holly to play along with whatever you were doing. But why was your 'wife' going to do that ever.

"What is going on Gail?" Holly bites out, clearly annoyed at all this. She had been hoping for a quiet evening of soaking up the fact that all this was actually happening.

"Just follow my lead, and wear your sunglasses." you plead, dragging her out to this rather deserted wing of the airport.

"It's night Gail."

"It's to hide your face, genius." you snap back, hoping there were no officers thinking any of this suspicious. Holly rolls her eyes and pulls on the sunglasses anyway.

As you're trying to get to the arranged meeting spot however, you spot a security officer right walking right towards the place and you immediately pull Holly to a nearby wall.

"What are you doing!" Holly exclaims, and for once you wish this woman would just listen to what you were saying.

"Be quiet!" you whisper as fiercely as you can, hoping the officer would go away soon, except he seems to be approaching you instead.

_Oh damn._

"Could you just - "

The rest of Holly's words are lost, as you've pulled her into a deep kiss, hoping and praying that would get the officer out of here and effectively keep Holly quiet. And as long you're kissing Holly, you were going to enjoy it.

The officer just takes a peak at the two of you and walks back to the spot you were supposed to meet the guy at and you groan as Holly pushes you away from her. You're too busy trying to pick up your phone that appears to have received another message.

"Wait, this says the guy's here."

"WHAT GUY GAIL!" Holly asks, clearly annoyed at everything going on, till you realize that the officer himself must be one of the Don's men.

_OOOOOH._

"Just come along." you urge Holly, pulling her and rushing to meet the guy. Holly does decide to keep quiet after seeing the officer.

"You Chloe? The officer asks you and you nod. As stupid as you had been, you weren't dumb enough to give the Don your real name.

The officer pulls out the Glock from his holster and hands it to you - and you grab it and shove it in your coat before nodding again to him. Holly on the other hand, was quite visibly stunned on seeing the gun.

"Were you making out with your sister?" The officer asks, rather surprised. And you've mentally slapped yourself for coming up with that story for the Godmother. Holly was still too flabbergasted to say anything.

"No! This is my girlfriend - who I'm saying goodbye to. My sister's waiting over at the terminal." you manage with a little smile and the officer seems to accept that answer somehow and leaves the two of you alone. You manage to stuff the gun into Holly's bag, while dragging Holly back to the terminal. Somewhere along the way, Holly did manage to get her voice back.

"Why did you buy a gun Gail!"

"Can you keep your voice down dear? This is an airport." That gets Holly to switch to a fierce whisper.

"What are you doing with a freaking gun Gail!"

"Well if I'm going to have to protect you - I'm not doing it without a weapon."

"You are insane. And we're going to get on a plane with this!" she rambles on, her voice slowly becoming louder.

"Shhh."

"Don't shush me!" she yells, making quite a lot of heads turn at the airport.

"Yes dear. Now please calm down. "you beg, exhausted with all the rushing through the day. Holly on the other hand just turns the other way with a huff. She's clutching her bag way too tight, wrapping her head around what was going on - and apparently not knowing that the gun was inside.

"Don't clutch your bag so tight dear, Glocks don't have a safety." you softly whisper, before she swallows a shriek and stuffs the bag in your hands.

_Well this was going to be a fun flight._


	23. You Know It! - Carried Away

_What's a rom-com without some slapstick - Of sorts. Or something. Leave logic here._

* * *

Days in Dawson could be taken in anyway - a painfully dull bore that were excruciatingly slow, or on looking back, absolutely nothing. The days had their routine which were drab in their own way. You had gotten in touch with Oliver's contact here and reported that the two of you were safe and sound here in dead Dawson. The rather dreary town had a few hotels where you had managed a dingy room (as wife and wife, of course Holly insisted on THAT) with two beds and a rather useless T.V. You tried to pass time playing on the laptop those games you had gotten hold of - except gaming at 16 hours at a stretch implied the game had to get over sometime soon. All of them. Besides there were times Holly would monopolize the laptop reading pages and pages of stuff which looked boring as hell (she had bought a pair of rather thick glasses at Winnipeg before leaving), leaving you to either stare at the ceiling or walk around the cold town. Both alternatives were boring, again.

The place itself felt like a step back in time, the whole town looked like something out of place with the beauty of this place. After the first four days of 'exploring' the perimeter of the town - walking around had become rather boring and plain. This was the kind of place you ought to leave quickly so that its beauty stuck in your head or else it just became as dull as life anywhere. But it's been 2 weeks of boredom and it was getting to you.

An average day would go along these lines - Holly waking up first and using up all of the available hot water (She claimed that the ice cold water did your ice cold personality well, much to your annoyance.) and then would endure in the task of waking you up which wasn't simple. First she would try to push and shove you out of your bed, all of which you solidly took without budging at all and with grunts and groans told her that people could eat breakfast separately but she refused to listen to that. Eventually she would pull the covers off you and that was enough to wake you up. After an extremely cold shower which made you even grumpier than you normally would have been in the mornings - the two of you would head to a local diner to get some breakfast. Holly always ordered the same thing every day and you didn't care what you had as long as you got your cup of coffee first. The cute waitress who was absolutely smitten with you diligently topped up your coffee every day with a cheery grin which you couldn't help but return - especially when she turned around and walked away swaying her hips as she did.

Holly of course would clear her throat at that.

"We're supposed to be married."

"Yeah. Sadly." you would sigh in reply, immediately scowling once again.

"Oh come on - she isn't that cute." Holly would mutter, taking a sip of her coffee. Seeing your fake wife's feigned jealousy was always something you found rather amusing. Especially now that the fringes gave her this rather school-girlish look.

One time - she had asked you if she could make a phone call back home - and that conversation had gone something like this.

"Can I contact someone back at Toronto?"

"I think the line of women you are supposed to be having one night stands with at Toronto can wait a while." you replied , wondering who on Earth would Holly want to talk to. Besides you had barely gotten hold of Oliver only once - and he had yelled at you for phoning him for no good reason. Holly of course gave you her stern look of annoyance.

"I would like to call my mother." she dryly replied, not amused one bit.

"Aww, does someone miss their Mommy." you sang, teasing her and snorting a bit yourself. That resulted in Holly chucking her napkin at you.

"A napkin? Really Hol?"

"Oh you're going to need that."

"Why would I - "

Before you could finish that sentence, Holly had thrown all the water in her glass right at you, and you hadn't had much choice but to just sit there. Holly of course resumed eating her breakfast with her usual demeanor as if nothing had happened.

"I think I deserved that." you conceded, wiping the water off your face.

"For everything you've done - you deserve worse." Holly finished, taking another bite of her food.

After breakfast, which everyday ended with the two of you arguing about something or the other, the two of you would split ways - one of you would do some pointless grocery shopping and the other would get the laptop back at the room. Lunches were a similar ordeal - but afternoons were a blissful time. They were quite warm and the town seemed to be asleep right then. Holly would usually either go out for a walk or sit in the room and read stuff off the laptop, whilst you aimlessly flipped through random T.V shows or simply lazed in the rather uncomfortable bed.

You had once suggested something else that the two of you could do to pass time but that conversation had gone - rather wrong. Holly had been busy reading through old journals on the laptop when you had brought up the idea.

"Hol."

"Hmm?"

"You know there's two of us here."

"I am aware, Yes." Holly replied, not taking her eyes off the laptop.

"I can think of something fun the two of us can do here - in this room."

"Really?" Holly asked, clearly not listening to you.

"Yes..." you tried with your best seductive voice, trying to get this woman's attention without leaving cold comfort of your own bed.

"Oh. OHHH. " Holly answered in surprise - finally getting where you were going with this.

"So...?"

"Yeah - No thanks." Holly curtly replied, diving her nose back into the laptop screen.

_What!_

"Are you seriously turning _ME_ down." you questioned, not at all expecting that to happen.

"Well if you'd like I could take a walk around town while you take care of yourself - "

"NO! No - that's not necessary. " you mumbled, turning back in your bed and resigning yourself to the fact that the most fun you were going to have in this sleepy town was with going to be with yourself.

* * *

That conversation had been 4 days ago, and after a rather chilly walk in the night around this town, you were now fast asleep in your bed. Something about the cold and the dark made you sleep rather a lot. That was till you felt someone straddle your waist.

"Holly?"

Before you could say another word, her lips were on yours, kissing you hard. _Woah was this really happening?_

"What's going on?" you mumbled, taken a little by surprise at what was going on.

"Shhh. Relax." Holly whispered back, kissing your neck and sliding her hands under your shirt.

"Wait - is this really happening?" You were rather still confused if this was a dream or actually happening.

Holly, clearly impatient and wasn't going to wait long for you to wake up enough, so she decided to go with the quickest way of jolting you up, which was slapping you hard across your face.

_SMACK!_

"OWW!" you exclaimed in pain, wide awake now, and immediately turned on at the sight of Holly straddling you_. Well this is a rather odd way to be turned on._ Holly immediately grabbed your shirt and pulled you up and damn was she strong.

"Come on Peck. Can't handle things if they're a little rough?" she smirked cheekily before kissing you again. Doesn't take long till you take over and pin her to the bed as you straddled her.

_If you want rough, I'm giving you rough._

* * *

It's been 5 days of blissful sex and empty days, you had momentarily forgotten how sexy Holly was, and you painfully tempting she could be. And those 5 days were an amazing blur of moans and passion indeed.

Waking up rather by yourself after a long time, you're a little taken aback that Holly hadn't woken you up as she usually did.

You squint and make out Holly sitting back on her bed, as if she was waiting for you to wake up.

"Helloooooo." you drawled out lazily, still happy from last night's 'fun'.

"Oh good, you're awake." Holly replies, snapping back to reality.

"Yeaahhhh. " you smiled back at her. Till Holly pulled out your Glock from her side and held it straight at your face.

"WOAH! WHAT are you DOING!" you yelled, wide awake now and scrambling up from your bed and away from the line of fire. Holly however just moved the gun till it was aimed back at your face.

"I want to call my mom. Today." she replied, completely cool. You, however are scared out of your wits.

"You would kill me to get to phone your mother?!" you exclaimed, rather nervous about what was happening.

"I am considering it." Holly replied, pressing the trigger slightly, getting you to panic.

"Okay - I'll do my best to - " but that wasn't helping at all as Holly just pressed the trigger harder at that.

"OKAY! OKAY! I'll get you your phone call! " you surrender, not at all liking the idea of being on the other side of the weapon. Hearing that, Holly finally puts the gun back down.

"How did you find it!" you yell, clutching your chest and panting after that scene.

"In the drawer next to the Bible isn't a genius hiding place Gail." Holly chuckled, still toying with the gun at her side. Finally catching your breath and regaining some composure, you sit back on the bed, still a little shaken.

"Remind me to teach you to hold a gun. You would have missed me at point blank and probably hurt yourself." you ramble to her.

"Is that a chance you really want to take? " Holly questions, picking up the gun again and you immediately get back off the bed, ready to duck in case your 'wife' did carry out her threat.

"NO! NO! JUST PUT THE GUN DOWN HOL!" you yell, and Holly just laughed at that.

"You were right. Guns are fun." Holly chuckled, putting the gun back in the drawer and getting up to leave, whilst you were still trying to go over how you were going to pull off phoning your 'mother-in-law.'


	24. You Know It! - I Can Talk

_Ah well it had to come up some time - the mushy mush part. Leave Logic here._

* * *

You're still considerably shaken up from this morning's scenario. You're here at the tiny building this town called a Police Station, trying to ring up Oliver, replaying the morning's events in your mind over and over. In retrospect you needn't have been so scared - there was no way Holly would have managed to pull that trigger. Fiddling with the long cord of the phone while the call connects, you're kicking yourself for giving in so easily. _I would probably fail miserably under torture._ Finally - the call goes through.

"Oliver!"

"Peck - this better be good."

"It is. My WIFE put a GUN to my head asking that she talk to her mother TODAY."

"Is that so?" was Oliver's droll reply, ruffling some papers on his desk.

"Is this what marriage is like?" you mumble, feeling a little wounded.

"For you Peck - this is precisely what marriage would be like. AH! Here it is - OH this makes sense." Oliver utters, seemingly distracted.

"What makes sense?"

"Tell your wife she can call her mother sometime in the afternoon there - Around 3-ish." Oliver informs you, ready to cut the call.

"WAIT! She can do that - but I can't call you without getting an earful? Does that mean I can call my mother?" you retort, clearly surprised that Oliver was allowing this. You had expected him to turn you down at once.

"Do you want to call your mother Peck?"

"No - that isn't the point here - how does she get to do that!?"

"And this is precisely why marriage will feel like a gun to your head Peck. You'll learn soon enough. I've gotta go here - and one more thing. We're close to cornering the Don so it shouldn't be long till you can come back home, okay?"

"Fine."

Banging the receiver back on the phone, you slouch out of the building to meet Holly, who seemed unusually chipper. You've decided to frown and sulk through the day - but Holly doesn't seem to mind that.

"What did he say?" Holly jumps at you the minute you step out.

"He actually agreed, did you two plan this behind my back?" you growl, slumping back to the hotel- Holly on the other hand skipping a little, making you roll your eyes. This was going to be another long day in this place.

* * *

Half past three at the station again - it took the two of you half an hour to figure how to relay the phones and get it done but finally everything's set up and now you're leaning against the wall - dying to figure out what exactly was going on. The phone was rather loud so you could hear both sides of the conversation quite clearly. The duration of this wasn't supposed to exceed a minute- you had warned Holly about that repeatedly and she kept nodding along, waiting for her mother to pick up. The minute she does, the glee on Holly's face is heart-warming enough to get you to smile a bit.

"Mom!"

"Holly-Sweetie! Happy Birthday darling!" And you immediately hit your face with your palm and groan. _Oh you idiot. _

You don't really listen to the rest of the conversation - you're internally kicking yourself for forgetting that today was your fake wife's birthday. You immediately remember reading that on the file that the department had handed to you when you were asked to tail her.

_Damn it._

The minute Holly puts the phone back down with a happy sigh - you pounce on her.

"Today's your birthday!? Why didn't you tell me that!" you prod, feeling a little hurt she didn't tell you and quite forgetting the morning's shenanigans.

"I didn't think you'd care about that. Besides it doesn't matter." Holly smiled back, clearly content for the day and walking out, leaving you scorned.

"That's not fair! It's my freaking job to care for you!" you call out, following her, trying to mentally work out something for your wife, to which Holly just shrugs, leaving you pretty dumbfounded.

* * *

Begging the diner waitress to bake a cake had been quite harder than you expected.

"She threw water on your face! She doesn't seem like a nice wife!"

"Well I deserved it - I have forgotten her birthday here, doesn't make me the most brilliant wife either." you had pleaded, desperate almost. There were only few things you could plan here. She had somehow given in to your begging and baked the best cake she could. The diner was pretty deserted in the evenings - and sticking on a candle on the cake (mostly because you couldn't remember the exact year Holly was born), you had lain in wait for her to turn up at the diner. When Holly does arrive, her genuine surprise when she sees you waiting with the cute cake is endearing.

"Do I get a present too?" she smiles, blowing out the candle and sitting across from you.

"I think holding a gun to my head was present enough for you." you smirk back, cutting a piece for yourself and Holly.

"I'm sorry about that but you don't seem like the type who would listen to reason!" Holly explains, taking a bite of the rather tasty cake.

"This tastes gorgeous! Sure your little girlfriend there didn't poison us?" she jokes, taking another mouthful.

"Oh that's just your half of the cake." you reply with a cheeky grin on your face.

"That's so sweet." Holly laughs, actually impressed by all the effort you've put in.

"Your next present is of course - Me, you can unwrap me however you want." you wink playfully, and Holly smiles back shyly in reply. And for the first time - the two of you are enjoying each other's company instead of just going with the flow.

* * *

Back at the hotel room, after some not-surprisingly heated sex, the two of you are just lying in bed, basking in the calm of the evening. Holly's lying on her side, and you've wrapped your arm around her, slightly confused that you've begun to enjoy this more than you thought you would.

"So, thank you for the most awesome birthday ever.." Holly begins, astonishingly shy for once.

"No need to patronize me Hol." you huff with a smile. You know this could have been easily better if you had known beforehand.

"I'm serious - this was the best birthday ever." Holly reassures you.

"Really?" and she nods in reply.

"Maybe next time I'll remember your birthday" you sigh, still feeling rather guilty about that.

"Next time?" Holly asks, surprised at that.

"I meant - next year, when we're back at Toronto." you hastily explain - and both of you realize that your stay here in this dreamland wasn't going to be forever, a realization that saddens both of you considerably.

"Listen - I'm really sorry I forgot your birthday, I know I should have remembered it, I read it on the file and I should have remembered it..." you ramble, feeling quite open.

"File? What File?" Holly questions and you throw your head back into the pillow.

"It's okay Gail - what file are you talking about? " Holly goes on, rather calm about this latest discovery.

"It was this file the department handed me when they asked me to keep an eye on you." you confess, wishing you had kept your mouth shut.

"Really? What did this file say about me?" Holly asks, curious about this file.

"It was all boring stuff - what you studied and cases you had cracked, stuff like that." you recall lazily.

"Huh."

"It made you sound quite the bore. Which isn't true you know."

"You think so?"

"I don't think any file could do who you are justice." you truthfully confess, and Holly hugs you tighter hearing that. You can't deny that this feels nice - having her in your arms like this. Well you can't keep up the cute lover act for long though.

"How old are you again?"

"And I was just beginning to like you!" Holly groans, punching you slightly in the stomach.


	25. You Know It! - Forgive and Forget

_Is this feasible? I have no idea. Leave ALL logic here._

_Debby...?_

The last so many days at Dawson were such a breeze - Holly was such amazing company and you can't deny she's grown on you. You can't help teasing her to have something flung at you in return, or saying something just to see her look of annoyance. Conversation was easy, she was one of the few people who could actually hold her ground against your sarcasm and give you scathing retorts - something you didn't know you liked about her till you thought about it. In those few days of bliss the two of shared together - there were some rather out-there conversations.

"If you could have chosen the place where we could have hidden, where would - "

"France, probably." was her quick reply.

"So you know French."

"No, but France is a beautiful country. "

"Ah. Wait - how would we have gotten to France - we're supposed to be hiding."

"Fake IDs, Fake papers."

"You've thought this out." you laughed.

"I figured the Don had enemies that would have loved to help us, given that it is my evidence that she is charged with." Holly explained, and you nodded in reply - quite impressed.

And the conversation went on as such, the depths to which the two of you discussed this though - people would have actually thought you were leaving for France.

* * *

And then abruptly one day over lunch- your phone rang, yes your phone actually rang - and the two of you actually stared at the phone and at each other for a good while before you took the call.

"Hello?"

"PECK! Good News! Guess who can come back!" came Oliver's loud voice over the phone, and you laugh. It was all over now.

After noting all the details of the proceedings and how the Godmother was finally put away (for a long long time.) - and after the two you celebrated your victory over the Don, it dawned on you that your time here was up. That realization quite dampened the mood.

"So, we're leaving here?" Holly asked.

"Yep, flight's tonight."

"Oh -that's so soon."

"Yeah."

The two of you were mulling over the time here, and the fact that normal life now waited back at Toronto, it was quite depressing.

"You'd think we'd have seen more action." you muttered, rather annoyed at that.

"You wanted something to happen to me?" Holly questioned, shocked.

"No - not that, but come on - I didn't get to fire my Glock!" you lamented, frowning.

Holly just chuckled in reply - and suggested a departing activity.

"Tell you what- why don't you teach me to fire that Glock. We can go up to the hills and then shoot at stuff. It's not like we need the gun anymore."

You instantly brighten up at that idea, eager for that.

"I think we can borrow this long-range rifle from the hotel - I think I saw the manager with one of those, that would make outdoor shooting fun!" you plan, shoveling down the rest of your lunch and excited to get on with the day. Holly laughs at your glee, but seems eager about everything too.

_At least we leave with a bang._

* * *

The manager - an old and constantly annoyed man had actually lent you his hunting rifle - with four rounds he could spare. Armed with that and your Glock, the two of you head to the far side of the town and up to the hill - and found a nice secluded spot - one the manager had suggested. Teaching Holly to fire a Glock had been quite cumbersome though.

"So, Officer - tell me - how do I fire the gun?"

"Just pull the trigger."

"That's it?'" Holly raised an eyebrow at that.

"What more do you want?"

"I expected a three hour lecture on firing mechanisms."

"Well this is a more hands-on experience." you chuckled, setting up a rudimentary target of empty beer cans in a row on what remained of a ledge.

"Set your legs shoulder-width apart - "

"Why?"

"MUST EVERYTHING HAVE A REASON WITH YOU - JUST STAND WITH YOUR LEGS SHOULDER-WIDTH APART."

"Fine - I was just being a model student." Holly groaned, sucking it up and standing as you showed her.

"Okay - both arms outstretched to equal lengths and grip the gun along the centre of your body - if you want shoot sideways always turn your whole upper body and not just your arms. Lean forward not back - "

Teaching your 'wife' to grip the gun was even more hilarious, with you standing behind her and trying to get her to wrap her hands around the gun to fire was quite a scene.

"There you've got it just - press the trigger!"

"It's hard!"

"Of course it's hard - you need quite a lot of force to pull a Glock's trigger."

BANG.

"There!"

"Did I hit anything?"

"Yeah - The ground - if that counts. You've got to aim it higher!"

The Glock had a total of 17 rounds, 10 you decided were enough practice for her. After showing her to aim and to not move the gun while firing - you had your fun time of firing 7 cans in a row. Holly, of course, rolled her eyes at that.

"Show-off."

"What can I say - I'm a woman of many talents - now try and hit something - and I'll setup something for this rifle a little farther." you yell, over Holly's firing - taking the rifle with you.

"How far can it shoot?"

"Looks like it can shoot about 500 yards." you called out, walking away, leaving Holly to try and knock at least one of those cans off the ledge.

You can still hear the intermittent muffled bangs of the Glock about 500 yards uphill from where you left Holly - but it's been rather quiet for a while now.

"Holly?" you yell out, wondering if she had fired all her rounds already. You suddenly faintly make out a jeep driving away from the hills and all the blood's drained from your face.

_No. NO!_

You're sprinting as fast as you can, yelling and screaming but the jeep just drives away, leaving you out of breath and utterly confused. You find your Glock on the ground, with absolutely no rounds left and your mind's gone blank.

_How did they find us here?!_

* * *

You've informed Oliver of everything, and he's willing to send the whole of the local police after whoever it was that took Holly - but you know that wouldn't work. The minute they saw the police they would kill Holly. The only thing that's giving you solace is the fact that Holly had once mentioned that if the Don's men did ever get hold of her - they would try to get her to switch her statement before killing her. So, all you can assume for now is that they're torturing her to switch her statement. It's a harsh thought - but at least that meant she was alive. The first thing you do once you get back to town is shake down the one person who could have possibly given the two of you away.

"WHERE DID THEY TAKE HER" you yell at the hotel manager's face, holding the muzzle of his own rifle under his chin, with no mercy in your eyes.

"I don't know - I swear - they just asked if there were any new people in town and - "

You just shoved the rifle deeper in his neck and cocked it.

"THEY MIGHT HAVE TAKEN HER TO THAT ABANDONED CABIN UP IN THE HILLS." he finally coughs up - and you really want to kill this guy - but not now. Swallowing your rage - you try and devise a plan.

"Well since you helped them get her - you're gonna help me get her back." you spat out, barely able to choke down your range. You're not thinking about anything else except getting her on that plane to Toronto.

It's a cold evening, and not been too long since Holly was abducted. An officer had come to take your rather meager stuff to the airport and informed you that the tiny plane was ready for take-off at any time. You had informed the local police -and they were on guard, but they couldn't do anything until you got Holly to safety.

The hotel manager had told you there were 3 men - and not surprisingly, he had no ammunition left. The local police themselves had tiny pistols which were worse than the rifle - and no rounds that would fit your Glock. You're too busy focusing on technicalities, silently hoping and praying nothing happened to Holly.

* * *

Nightfall came rather quick today, for which you're grateful for - and you and the hotel manager (reluctantly of course) rode halfway up the hill on these motorbikes you had borrowed for the evening. The other half of the hill, the two you just pushed your bikes up - and the old man complained quite a lot at that - but you still had his rifle and you informed him that he could either do this and live or die on the spot. Your icy demeanor along with that threat shut him up.

Its pitch black now, and both of you finally reached the cabin. You can barely make your way through the overgrown bushes - but you can recognize the jeep from this morning - and you know she's in there. You can't hear anything and that drives you to set this plan into motion.

"Five minutes - and only after the men spot you - you rev the hell out of that bike, turn on the lights and ride AWAY from town - got it?" He nods, trembling in the cold. You really want to kill him right now - but that would significantly ruin your plan - given that you don't have much ammunition.

Hoping for the best - you kick start your plan into action.

Aiming as well as you can in the dark, you try to shoot at a high glass window at the top. The rifle was a loud one, and the shot echoed through the night. You nod at the old man and run to hide for cover - and as planned for - two men do step out of the house immediately.

_Where's the third. Damn it._

Sure enough, the old man revs his bike and flashes on his lights and rides out. The two men immediately jump into action - leaving you clear to enter the cabin.

The minute you hear the jeep start, you rush into the cabin - searching frantically for any sign of Holly.

_Please be alive. Please be alive_.

You finally catch sight of her - tied up to a chair and half asleep and the third man - the Security guard from the airport - the one who handed you your now useless Glock was there, pacing up and down - waiting for the other two men to come back. You would love to fire at him and free Holly, but that was a stupid plan. You don't have many rounds left - and Holly could get injured in the cross fire. Your breath sounds so loud in the hall, waiting for the man to walk away from the room, leaving you clear to rescue Holly.

Finally he does do exactly that, and you haven't got much time to cut her free. Holly's still drowsy - almost falling over in her chair while you try to cut her free - and you can hear footsteps coming back again.

You don't have any time to set your rifle and fire it - you've barely gotten a good grip on it when he does come back to the room.

The minute he sees you - he's ready to pull out his gun from its holster - and you've barely gotten yourself in a decent position.

"Well if it isn't the sister-kisser." he snarls - and that's sends you to a blind rage. Before he can pull the trigger on his gun, you've taken your rifle and with a swift move taken the butt of the rifle and used it to uppercut him - effectively sending him to the floor him.

"She's my wife, jerk." you spit out, before firing a shot into his abdomen and rushing to help Holly. She's alive thankfully - but still rather sleepy. You're ignoring the guard's yells of pain - and shaking Holly till she finally wakes up, somewhat.

"You came! Took you long enough." she smiles, in a surprisingly happy mood. You've grabbed her and are now dragging her out of the house, desperate to make it to that plane as soon as possible.

"Did they hurt you Hol?"

"I think they injected me with Sodium Pentothal - which is weird. Maybe they were trying to get me to say I was lying about the evidence. But I wasn't . Maybe the Godmother told them it was lie - that was stupid of her. I think that's was weird. You'd think they would have tortured me to change my statement but NO they didn't do that. Confusing to say the least."

_Wow, if she wasn't chatty before._

"So you aren't hurt?"

"No - wow it's cold! I think waterboarding could have done it for me. I'm sure if they had waterboarded me I would have surrendered in a second. "

You've given up paying attention to her- focusing on finding your bike and getting out of here.

"Uh-huh. And then what?"

"I gave them a lecture on better drugs they could have used instead of it. Seriously - there's plenty of barbiturates that are more effective than Sodium Pentothal! I may have asked them why they were so hung up on old ways - I mean - the Mafia should be open to advancements in drugs and weaponry but they kept going back to the evidence. What a bore!"

"Sure."

"Is that a bike? Ooh I've never been on one before - I hate them - Why are you getting on it? Is this how we're going back to Toronto? It's so dark and cold! Let's go in the morning!"

"HOL! If I give you my jacket - will you shut up and just hold on to me?"

" I wish I could -I'm really trying to stop talking but these words are coming out before I think them - it's a little unnerving - Woah you look hot on a bike."

You tear off your jacket and stuff it in her hands, and start the bike - while Holly sleepily sits herself behind you and literally falls half-asleep on your back.

"Are we going home now?"

"Yes dear, we're going home." you assure her, riding off into the darkness. Spite the cold wind hitting your face hard, you can still hear her rambling in the back.

"It's really cold. Did you know we're so close to the Earth's Magnetic North Pole! We should have gone there! It would have been so cool. Wow you can actually see the stars here! Is that the Dog Star? I think it is. Are we there yet? I feel really sleepy. Is it weird that I want to stick my hand down your pants now?"

"What?"

"You look really good in those pants - makes me want to bite them off Rowr!"

You don't know whether to laugh at that, or not - but soon you reach the airport and riding your bike up to the runway felt rather badass. You've informed the police about the two other men and all details you could - and you've finally boarded the plane - exhausted.

Holly's already curled up in her seat - on the verge of falling into a deep sleep. You fall into the seat next to her and she smiles sleepily at you.

"So, we're going home."

"Yep."

She's obviously sad at that - but too sleepy to argue though.

"I'm gonna miss you - you know. You make a pretty good wife." she drowsily mumbles, falling asleep.

_You're not too bad a wife yourself._


	26. You Know It! - It All Starts Here

_But Guest I thought angst was my thing..._

_And Debby - I made you cry? I'm truly sorry. _

_Leave all humane logic here. Seriously._

_And a little time jumping._

* * *

If anyone had told you a few weeks ago that life back in Toronto would be dull in comparison to life in Dawson - you wouldn't have believed them. Life in that deadbeat town better than living at home-sweet-home? Not possible. Yet here you are - driving around in circles back in Toronto in your untidy car, bored out of your mind. It's half past seven in the evening - and you have nothing more to do here than you did at Dawson. You've kept in touch with Holly - both of you still held on to the phones you had bought at Winnipeg and used it as a sort of private connection. No one else knew you still had those phones and it was fun texting Holly with random things and especially elaborate hypothetical plans about France and Paris. But you hadn't been able to meet your 'wife' after that day. After landing in the airport she gave you a kiss and that was it - back to everyday life. From what you know she's been swamped with work for the past few weeks, as have you - but it all ended up being drab. You couldn't believe it but life in Dawson was better - stress-free and blissful.

You're driving around the morgue and you see Holly walking out exhausted. You can't help but drive over to her.

"Had a long day dear? Care for a ride?"

Holly chuckles at your little term of endearment and climbs into the passenger seat of the car. You drive on, rather annoyed with the evening traffic.

"Is that a DSLR?" she asks, picking up your camera - the one you had left in the car long ago, after tailing Holly - too lazy to pick it up and put away. You nod, quite forgetting what was on the camera.

"Why does this have pictures of me and my legs and my ass?" Holly demanded, rather annoyed that there were about a 150 photos of herself - all taken from afar.

_Woops._

"Uhhh - Remember that time you held a gun to my head? " you retorted back, hoping that would suffice.

"Yeah - remind me to do that again." Holly huffed, setting the camera back on the back seat.

"How's normal life back home?" you deflect, inching the car through the thick traffic.

"Would you believe me if I told you it's been terrible." Holly groans with a small smile, playing it off as a joke.

"You?"

"In the nicest way possible - Normal life sucks so bad." you confess with a little laugh.

"Dawson was pretty awesome." Holly smiles, remembering those carefree days. You nod in agreement, turning to look at her. She looks back at you - and for a minute the two of you stare at each other - knowing extremely well what the other was thinking.

"Would it work?" Holly asks, curious and rather energized at the prospect of what was to come.

"Would you be surprised that we actually decided on almost everything that needed to be done - except one very crucial part."

"Which is?"

"How we die." you state, mentally going over everything else that needed to be thought over.

"So, how do we die?"

"I don't know - you're the doctor here, you tell me how our mangled remains would be unrecognizable" you throw back, rushing through the cars now - eager to kick start this plan.

"The best would be to get run over by a train..."

"But I don't want to mess up the train lines for this." you frowned, hoping to not wreck things too much in the process of executing this plan.

"Looks like we have only one option then." Holly grins, and you look back at her inquiringly.

"Sleeping with the fishes." she replies with a demure smile and you nod. That would be perfect.

You drop Holly back at her home, agreeing to meet with her in 3 hours. With a wink, you drive off - quickly making a list of things you were going to need.

* * *

The minute Oliver gets the news that Gail's car had been wrecked completely by a huge truck - and that Dr. Stewart was missing too - he's stunned. He had used all his might to get the Godmother to call the dogs off the forensic pathologist - but clearly that hadn't worked.

_After everything those two did to hide._

Soon enough Oliver receives the news that their bodies hadn't been found - but Holly's wallet had been in Gail's car and the two were now missing – that put together with the location of the truck - he knows it's the Godmother's handiwork.

_Damn it._

* * *

"You've got everything?" Holly double-checks, looking through the sheaf of papers you handed her.

"It's all there - Passports, Visas - Fake ID's everything."

"That's quite impressive."

"Well the Don has a lot of extremely powerful enemies - who were all eager to help." you grin, driving the car out to the well-known parts of the city - parts that were particularly known as the Godmother's turf.

"You told me you set up an account at the Swiss bank."

"Yep - transfer all your money to that account - and it's all settled. We'll have all the money we'll need." you explain, driving around, looking for a particular truck you had been informed about, while Holly tapped away at her laptop. She still kept the one she had bought in Winnipeg - it was off the grid after all.

"Can I just say it's rather unsettling that you still have that wig." she groans, taking a look at the wig you still had in the car. You roll your eyes at that - you were going to need cover if this was going to work.

Everything is settled, and the two of you are silently tailing this huge truck - knowing precisely where the driver would stop. On cue, he gets out for a snack - leaving one of his flunkies waiting in the truck.

"This is it." you whisper to Holly, who's all ready with her baseball cap and sunglasses - and you with your wig. The car's parked in the strategic place - right next to a hard wall with no cameras in sight.

"So we're actually doing this?" you tentatively ask, just to confirm that this was actually happening.

"Looks like we are." Holly grins in reply, racking the slide of the Glock - loaded this time. The two of you are ready to jump into action now.

You leap out and drag all of the stuff you would be carrying on your imminent flight. Holly just coolly walks over to the front of the truck and climbs to the driver's door. The flunky in the truck is terrified at the sight of Holly and the Glock and she silently threatens him out of the front of the truck. By the time you get the luggage to a safe spot and get back - Holly's having fun threatening her poor victim. She's fired a shot right next to the poor guy's head and he's cowering in a dark corner after handing her the keys. Holly quickly jogs back to the truck, climbing into the driver's seat and you've barely clambered into the passenger seat.

"How come you get to drive!" you frown - you had let Holly have the gun after all.

"Because I like driving trucks." Holly grunts, starting the truck and setting it in reverse, clutching the steering wheel and the Glock in the same hand.

"You've driven trucks before?" you gape, a little taken aback.

"You'll soon learn that I'm a woman of many talents myself." Holly gloats, backing the truck as far as she could, while Gail's car was right ahead.

"U-Haul?" you ask cheekily, clearly pleased with yourself. Holly dramatically turns to look at you with a no non-sense look, shaking the Glock at you.

"I'll shut up." you gulp, trying to find something to grab on to.

"Here goes nothing." Holly mutters, shifting gears and about to press the accelerator.

"Wait! What if you want to call your mother?"

"She knows."

"WHAT!"

"I told her."

"You told your mother our plan?"

"She's cooler than you think - relax." Holly assures you, ramming the accelerator. The truck lurches forward - quickly gaining speed and rams right into your car - completely wrecking it. The truck itself was pretty strong and had taken quite a lot of the impact. Both of you rush out of the truck and dragging your luggage and all the papers through dark alleys - and finally making it to a distant main road, get a cab to the airport.

* * *

Waiting in line at the airport, you can see the T.V.'s all going over the news flashes of the missing police officer and pathologist. Thankfully - they were running old pictures of the two of you. This was another crucial part of the plan - if this went wrong, it was all going to fall to pieces.

Handing in both your papers at the desk for a rudimentary look through - you hold your breath as the lazy officer stares at it.

"Ms. Dolores Clattworthy?" she chews out, and Holly steps forward with a wink at you.

"And Ms. Paige Cofflerick?" the airline staff mutters, taking a look at you and the papers again, rather annoyed.

"We're just getting away from monotonous life." Holly offers and you try to sell it better - wrapping an arm around Holly's waist and pulling her closer. The staff lady nods absent mindedly, handing back the papers with a half-smile.

"Enjoy your flight to Paris ladies." she huffs, motioning to both of you to go through.

Finally reaching the terminal and waiting for the plane, the two of you are happy and so excited.

"Are Dolores and Paige married?" Holly laughs, realizing that you've both almost pulled off the biggest hoax of all time.

"I don't know - do you think they should be married?"

"We'll see." Holly grins, leaning back and smiling up the high ceiling. You've got a smile stuck on your face yourself.

The plane soon arrives and it's time to board the plane - and the two of you are grinning uncontrollably at each other.

"We're going to France." Holly exclaims gleefully, standing up and excited. You can't believe it yourself either.

You get up and pull her close to you.

"We're going to France." you whisper back, kissing her hard and pulling her closer as she deepens the kiss.

_The End._

_This has been - by far - the cheesiest thing I've ever written. Methinks it's a decent rom-com - but thank you ALL for liking it. :)_

_Oh and Dolores Clattworthy and Paige Cofflerick are anagrams of _Doctor Holly Stewart_ and_ Officer Gail Peck_ so…._


	27. The Other Side of MtHeart Attack

_**Anonymous asked: A prompt idea. Have you seen the promo of 6x06? Imagine Gail getting shot in the process and Traci, who is slightly in contact with Holly, calls her to let her know, because the last thing Gail said before going is unconscious is saying Holly's name. Of course she comes (what else?) and she sits with Gail, holding her hand for days, until she wakes up, to tell her that she comes back for good.**_

_Dear Sunglasses - I've always wondered why people never gave me prompts like this. Figured out why. It's because I write them like this._

_Assume all assumptions. ALL. Assumptions. Don't underestimate my ability to write around the adoption storyline because I WILL._

_Is all this medically feasible?_

* * *

_What a nice day to waste on baseball. _You huff to yourself, rather pissed that you were forced to this ordeal. Sports were fine as long they were on a screen and controller playable. You're standing quite far from the cheering going on, absent-mindedly tossing and toying with a spare baseball, hoping to get away without playing. Not that anyone was going to force you to play - but you would prefer it if no one asked you to at all. Surprisingly thus far, you haven't thought of your last encounter with baseball at all. Holly was out of sight and out of mind. You just want this to get over with already so you're leaning against the chain fence, staring at anything but the kids playing their game.

The second you see the car start rolling down its window and poke out a muzzle of a gun you sprint forward yelling at everyone to get down. In that split second you can make out where the gun's pointed at and you pounce at the kid to get him down, but not before you feel something tear into your side.

The surge of adrenaline that comes makes your pain feel quite lesser than it actually is. You can make out everyone still cowered in their places, save Dov who's running to the car, hoping to catch whoever it was. It's all eerily silent for some reason. The minute the car vanishes from sight - you try and sit up, but to your surprise you can't. Your brain is in overdrive, willing your body to get up and get help but your body seems helpless now. You can feel the slick blood on your left arm and hand, and you realize that you're wheezing. It feels like forever before someone gets to you - looks like either Chris or Nick you can't tell it's all too blurry.

_Why is everyone so slow? I'm bleeding here!_

The next thing you can make out is lying on a gurney in what seems an ambulance, the pain slowly seeping into your consciousness. You slightly manage to sit up ignoring the pain and the sight of your left abdomen is sickening. Paramedics were pressing down on your side in a bid to reduce your bleeding, but your blood-soaked shirt is nauseating. The pain is getting intense now, and you desperately want to scream but you seem to have no energy for it. You can make out Chris making you lie back down, urging you to calm down. He's a blur and the only reason you can make out it is Chris is because of his voice. It doesn't make sense at all - your brain is in overdrive, taking in pointless details of your surroundings - every sound is so vivid, the blood still on your hands so sticky - but you have no energy to do anything but just be.

_Am I dying? Is this it?_

Your brain seems to think so, because it starts playing back memories of your life, so crisp and clear. The first thing that you remember brings with it this pained guilt you can't bear right now.

_"Hey Lunchbox, you're not allowed down there."_

_"Thanks - appreciate it."_

* * *

There are very few things you can discern now - and the rest is so black. The first thing was opening your eyes, trying to see what was happening - but you can't make out much. Your eyes seem to be covered with some cloth for some reason, and you're trying to move your arm to tear it away but you can't feel it. This gets you panicking, you can't make out anything through the thick fiber of the cloth and it's terrifying. You're about to jolt and try to break free from whatever you think is holding you down - till you hear a calming voice.

"Gail, relax - it's just your pain meds wearing off. You'll be fine." you can make out someone telling you.

_Holly?_

You can feel her hands pushing your hair back and holding you down, her cool fingers on your forehead and her breath in your hair. You know you have something to say but by the time you do that the meds are coursing through your veins again - lulling you back the blackness.

* * *

You're sitting up against something, in an abandoned machinery shop of-sorts, pressing something against your bleeding side, while Holly's banging at the shut door, trying to get it to open.

_Wasn't this with Chris? Why are my memories - _

The throbbing pain in your side cuts that thought off, leaving you feeling slightly lightheaded. The taste of bile on your tongue is horrendous, your whole body is so cold but you're feebly holding on.

"Holly." you choke out, hoping she'd just come here and sit next to you. She does that, checking on your wound and making sure you're going to make it.

"I miss you." you breathe out, finally voicing those words you've felt for so long. Holly just crumbles into tears and after making sure that the pressure is hard enough against your wound, melts into your arms and sobs quietly. You can feel her weight on your shoulders, her wet tears on your skin - and you feel your body getting colder and colder.

"We'll be fine Gail." she whispers back, clinging on to you.

_Maybe she's here and I'm messing up my memories to match with her presence now._ You think to yourself, slowly slipping back to unconsciousness.

* * *

The next thing you can make out is you lying naked in Holly's tub, Holly lying in the tub behind you - urging you to lean back and enjoy the moment. The first thing you can see is that your left hand isn't bloody anymore.

_Am I dead? Am I dying?_

Holly's wrapped her arm around your neck, and you can feel her chest rising on your back.

_It's all so vivid, I can't be dead._

It's true - everything felt so real - the water in the tub, Holly skin against yours, your wet hair on your head - it's real. It couldn't be a memory. Holly isn't saying anything but the soft sound of her breathing is reassuring that you're alive and you still could get her back.

Holly gently moves her left hand over to just below your breast and the shock of pain jolts you.

_Is that where I was -_

You're panting and Holly doesn't seem to notice. You feel your chest for yourself and you can make out blood slowly seeping out of what seems to be a bullet wound.

"Holly?"

She doesn't seem to hear you, she's just running her fingers along the bare skin of your stomach and it's painful.

"Holly!"

You're losing consciousness now, trying to cling on to something but all you can find is the water, but it's all fading again.

* * *

You slowly wake up and find yourself in a hospital bed, with all these doctors looking over you - and you can make out Traci and Steve too.

_I'm alive?_

The doctors inform you that you were unconscious for 2 days after losing too much blood and a ton of medical jargon later - that you were going to be fine now that you woke up. Steve's so happy he can barely keep it in, he comes over and engulfs you in this bear hug.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again." he chokes out and you manage a weak smile at your annoying brother being nice for once. Traci's happy too - clutching your hand and telling you to rest and recuperate for now.

_Where's Holly?_

You're rather confused about that - but thinking that she had probably stepped out for a minute, you decide to not jump and ask straight away.

But after five minutes of the doctors still checking up on vitals and still no sign of her, you're getting worried.

"Where's Holly?" you ask Traci, who's busying herself making sure you got to some sort of comfortable position.

"Holly's not here Gail - she's in San Francisco, remember?" she replies - surprised at that question.

"She didn't come?" you ask her again. _Did Holly leave before I could wake up?_

"No Gail, she didn't come." Traci shakes her head, stepping out of the room as the doctors asked her to leave for a while.

_But she was here - I could feel her._

* * *

It's been a day of bed-rest in this dull hospital - and you're losing your mind. You would love to walk around, do something but lying in that hospital bed all day. You're staring outside the window, too sick of the TV already.

"I came as soon as I heard." you hear Holly's voice from the door, and you whip your head to see if it's her - if it's actually her and it is. You're so happy you would have got up from the bed to hug her but you have absolutely no energy to do that.

But you've got the biggest grin ever on your face - and you can remember those words of hers as if it was yesterday.

"I'm really glad you came." you smile, so unbelievably happy. Holly's still trembling by the door, taking in your bandaged abdomen and bed-ridden self and gathering up the nerves to walk into the room.

"How are you feeling?" she gingerly asks, too terrified to even come near you - but at the same time trying to piece together what you must have gone through in the past few days. You know it's her being terrified of coming near you after she left you for a job in another land, but you don't care about that now.

"Like someone shot me." you huff, but Holly hasn't heard that at all. She's still examining you from far.

"If you want to know - you could just read my chart there." you point to the end of the bed and Holly swallows a breath and darts to pick up your chart.

_Still the same Lunchbox._

"You should be recovering fine I see." she rambles, pushing her glasses onto her face and still slightly nervous. You're just so glad that she's here and seeing her pour over your chart is so incredibly endearing.

"So you came all the way from San Francisco to look at my chart?" you joke, hoping that would get her to calm down, but she's just as nervous as ever.

"I had to make sure you were okay." she explains, setting the chart back and sitting on this empty chair. You desperately want to reach out and grab her hand and pull her over to you. But baby steps for now, you suppose.

She's silent, and quite terrified of saying the wrong thing. As are you. But the silence is killing you.

"Did you know this happened during a baseball game?" you start, and Holly's surprised at that.

"A baseball game?"

"Yep. And you said that it wouldn't kill me." you smile, and Holly laughs at that. Seeing her laugh, you can't help but chuckle a little too.

You stretch your hand to her and she takes it, still laughing - probably remembering the time the two of you played baseball.

"We'll be fine Gail." she sighs happily, and you it was so soothing to actually hear those words.


	28. Easy

_What's it been - 84 years since I wrote? Sounds about right. I just decided that I would write something, no matter how weird or bad - just to get back into the groove of writing._

_So - has this been written before? Probably. Am I gonna write it still? Absolutely. Is this feasible? Buddy I have no clue._

_Prompt: Why are you smiling so much today?_

Gail yawned as she tiredly walked along the long corridor of the hotel. She couldn't sleep - understandably - and didn't feel like waking up Traci who was exhausted from all the work done that day, so she decided that perhaps a little stroll around the hotel would help. The corridors were dimly lit - it was 3 am after all. Gail considered for a second and decided that maybe a hotel with a 24 hour bar wasn't such a bad choice after all. Before heading to the elevator - she decided to walk through the rooms on the other wing as well before heading down.

_What an awkward time for a drink. _

Walking up to Holly's room, Gail was surprised as she noticed the bottom of the door brightly lit - implying either Holly or her sister Debby was awake. She glanced down at her sweat pants and t-shirt and considered it. There was a 50-50 chance that Holly was awake - so taking her chances, Gail softly knocked on the door - hoping that it was Holly. The door soon opened and Gail was relieved as she saw Holly in her shorts and a tee grinned. Holly was rubbing her eyes - she was tired too - but like Gail - clearly couldn't sleep.

"What are you doing here?" Holly whispered - afraid that Debby would wake up. "You're not supposed to -"

"You couldn't sleep either." Gail countered with a smile - pulling Holly out to the corridor by her hand.

"Nope - too nervous. I just can't stop thinking. " Holly sighed - letting Gail drag her out. "What are you doing?" she groaned.

"Let's get a drink." Gail suggested, her hand gently rest on Holly's hip.

"At 3 am - in sleepwear?" Gail shrugged at that.

"What are they going to do - kick us out? We're paying for _a lot_ \- might as well." Gail reasoned, and Holly shook her head as she disappeared back into her hotel room. Gail waited expectantly as Holly appeared again - wearing a robe and her glasses. Gail grinned.

_What an awkward time for a date. _

The two reached the bar - it wasn't surprising that they were the only ones there. The bartender had to scramble to turn off the TV when he saw the two women enter. They found a cozy booth and settled there - Holly right next to Gail and leaning on her shoulder.

It was a strange thing, sitting in the empty bar and drinking - the annoyed bartender certainly thought so - but it was certainly a pleasant feeling. After the last few hectic weeks - the silence felt comfortable and much needed. Holly sighed a content sigh - her fingers playing with Gail's. Gail felt that she would have easily fallen asleep if she had just been with Holly - but that wasn't possible, apparently.

"You okay?" Holly piped up - after her second drink - and Gail mildly chuckled at that.

"Are you-?"

"I don't know. It's all just so near and soon it will be happening and - everyone's going to be there - I don't know. "

Gail thought for a minute - looking at Holly ponder about what she wanted to say.

"It just - doesn't feel like - " Holly tried - searching hard for the right words.

"Us." Gail finished - and at that Holly banged the table. The alcohol had gotten to them rather quickly.

"Yes! It doesn't feel like something we would do." Holly gushed - sitting up, Gail smiling at her.

"We should elope." Gail suggested in Holly's ear - and Holly gasped at that.

"Everyone would kill us." Holly turned to Gail - wide-eyed. "Especially now - when the wedding's tomorrow."

Gail scowled, Holly leaned into her to give her a kiss. It was a soft, gentle kiss - and Gail broke the kiss, still close to Holly and slowly whispered - "Let's get married now."

Holly laughed at that, and Gail felt like her heart would explode.

"Now?"

"Now."

* * *

The two were struggling to make sense while talking the receptionist. The receptionist - a very anxious looking young girl named Melissa - was doing her best to reason with Gail why she couldn't exactly open the Ceremony Hall at 4:30 in the morning - but in the end lost out - and in five minutes Melissa was very nervously fumbling with the keys. Once the Hall was opened, Holly convinced her that they would return the keys once they were done and she scampered off.

Gail and Holly pushed open the doors of the huge hall, and after turning on all the lights - took in the beautifully decorated room. Chloe, Traci and Debby had all taken over the decorating - and the hall was daintily set.

The empty hall set up completely looked perfect, just absolutely perfect. Gail walked up the aisle to the front while Holly was still observing the room.

Gail held out her hand from where she was standing and started humming out the Bridal March, making Holly laugh out loud.

"You're insane, you know that - right?" Holly grinned - coming towards Gail and throwing her arms around Gail's neck.

"Well I sure hope you do, seeing you're the one marrying me." Gail smugly replied.

"So we're getting married now?" Holly cheekily enquired, but both of them were unable to hide their joy. To them this felt more real than any ceremony in front of everyone ever could.

"Hmm Mmm. How is it that weddings go?" Gail began - "Uh Yes - Dearly beloved-"

Holly couldn't stop herself from kissing Gail, and Gail pulled her as close as she could.

Holly licked her lips, and couldn't stop smiling.

"So, do you take this dorky, annoying nerd who can't shut up to be your lawfully wedded wife-?" Holly asked shyly.

"I do." Gail replied, smiling as she gave Holly a long kiss.

"Do you take this hot, icy and very intimidating cop to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Gail asked, feeling her heart in her throat.

"I do." Holly shyly smiled, biting her lip and nodding.

"And this is where we each eat a cheese puff." Holly proclaimed, making Gail laugh.

"So we're married then!" Gail smiled, her voice almost a squeal. Holly couldn't hide her glee as well - and soon the two were laughing out in the Hall, their voices sounding louder than normal in the empty room.

"I'm sure that's not legal." Holly laughed - Gail shook her head at that.

"I'm a cop - and this is a 100% legal. And now we can go home and stay in bed forever." she stated, dragging Holly out of the Hall, both of them giggling as they stumbled and held on to each other. The restaurant staff were already there, beginning prep for the day - and were quite surprised to see two women burst out of the Hall in fits of laughter.

They couldn't keep their hands off each other in the elevator and by the time they got back to Holly's room - they couldn't be quiet at all.

"Okay- sh sh! You'll wake Deb up." Holly was pleading, while Gail kept kissing her neck.

"I'll see you soon Gail." Holly sighed, giving Gail a quick kiss and pushed Gail off her with a grin and shut the door as quietly as she could, before Gail could come in.

* * *

Gail did wake Traci when she got back to her room, and Traci wasn't too amused with Gail.

"Why are you smiling so much - You're going to get married with a hangover now-?" Traci scolded - but Gail happily fell on her bed, her head hitting the pillow.

"It's okay. I just got married."


End file.
